Year of the Goose
by corset-rebellion-follower
Summary: A huge noodle competition is coming to the Valley of Peace, and Mr. Ping and Po have every intention of entering. But a week before the contest, Po gets sick and can't compete. So the Furious Five step in to help Mr. Ping win the contest.
1. A Special Visit

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 1- A Special Visit

Mr. Ping ran up the steps to the Jade Palace, clutching a piece of paper in his wing. He wasn't even tired after having run all the way up from the bottom, in fact, he had more energy as he ran faster. He had to slow down to push open the heavy steel-fortified doors, but then he picked up the pace again.

"PO!" he called. "SON, WHERE ARE YOU?" He ran through the arena and up the rest of the stairs to the Hall of Warriors. "PO? ARE YOU IN HERE?" he yelled, sticking his head in through the door.

Po wasn't there, only Shifu, who was meditating. He jumped and looked back at the goose as he yelled. When Mr. Ping realized that it wasn't Po, he stopped yelling. "Oh, I'm sorry to disturb you, Shifu. I was just looking for my son. But it's lovely seeing you again." He disappeared from the doorway, leaving an agitated Shifu behind.

Mr. Ping ran to the bunkhouse and opened all the doors to the bedrooms, screaming his son's name. When he burst into Master Crane's room, Crane was startled and tipped over the jar of ink that he had been practicing his calligraphy with, splattering it everywhere.

"Oh, hello, Master Crane! It's wonderful to see you again. I'm just looking for Po, I hope I didn't disturb you. I'll just be on my way. By the way, beautiful calligraphy! I've never seen any symbol that just had ink in huge blotches on the paper before." And with that, he left. Crane sighed and stared down at his ruined calligraphy and spilled ink.

"I'll go get a mop."

Mr. Ping was getting a little annoyed at the fact that he couldn't find his son. But he was persistent. He checked the kitchen as he passed, where Master Monkey was on the top shelf, bringing down a certain jar.

"PO?"

Mr. Ping's yell caused Monkey to drop the jar. It smashed into a million pieces. Monkey pouted a little before hopping down to clean up the mess, grumbling about how he would have to bake more cookies.

As Mr. Ping continued his search for Po, he passed Mantis and Viper, who were washing Mantis's acupuncture needles in a bucket of water. The screeching made Mantis jump and two of the needles get thrown into the air, accidently getting stuck in Viper's back.

"OUCH!"

"Sorry, Viper!"

Mr. Ping thought of the last place Po could possibly be. He threw the doors to the training hall open. "PO? SON, ARE YOU HERE?" Suddenly, five training stars pinned him to the door, barely missing his limbs.

Tigress rushed over to him and started pulling out the stars. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Ping! You startled me," she apologized.

"Excellent shot, if I do say so myself," he said cheerfully as she pulled out the last star and he was able to relax his arms and legs.

"Thank you," Tigress said. A warm blush set across her cheeks at the complement.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. But I'm looking for my son. Have you seen him today?" Mr. Ping asked.

"He was in here a few minutes ago, training. If you can call it training," she told him, muttering the last part. They heard a groan coming from the other side of the hall. Po's arms and head appeared out of a large hole.

"I'm ok… I think." He hoisted the rest of himself out of the hole and walked up to the Adversary. "Just you wait! One of these days, I'm gonna get'cha! It may not be today, or tomorrow, or even next week! But some day…" he said menacingly, shaking his finger at the dummy.

"What do you know? Two dummies, right where I left them," Tigress said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Po!" Mr. Ping ran over to his son and gave him a big hug.

"Hey, dad! What're you doing here?" Po asked as he hugged his father back.

"That's what we'd like to know." Shifu, Crane, Mantis Monkey, and Viper were at the door, and they were all scowling. Crane had black ink covering his feet and Viper now had two bandages on her back.

"Oh, it's great news, son!" Mr. Ping said, uncrumpling the paper he still had in his wing.

"Really? What's going on?" Po asked.

"The World Championship Noodle-Off is going to take place in the Valley of Peace this year! I found a flyer for it this morning!" Mr. Ping handed the paper to Po.

"Wow, really?" Po asked, studying the flyer excitedly.

"What's the World Championship Noodle-Off?" Mantis asked.

"It's only THE biggest noodle cooking competition of the year! All the great noodle-cooking masters are there. We've never gone before because it's always been so far away, like in Beijing," Po explained.

"Not only that, but if you win, you get the honor of serving the Emperor of China a bowl of noodles! The prestige, the honor, the increased business! It's so much more than just a noodle contest!" Mr. Ping added, hopping from one foot to the other.

"Sounds like fun. Maybe we should go," Viper suggested.

"Are you kidding? You have to go! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Po said.

"Kind of like getting blasted into the Jade Palace on a chair covered in fireworks and being named the Dragon Warrior?" Monkey asked.

Po scoffed. "Oh please, that pales in comparison to the Championship Noodle-Off!"

"Yes, well, as important as this sounds, I'm afraid we don't have time. We still have training to do, which includes you, Panda," Shifu said.

"Oh he won't have time for training. I'll need him down in my shop 24/7 to get ready for the Noodle-Off," Mr. Ping said.

"I'm sorry, but he can't waste time. He still has a long way to go in training before he can start slacking off," Shifu insisted.

"Master Shifu, come on! I'll probably never get to do this ever again!" Po begged, "And he's my dad! I have to compete!"

Shifu sighed. "I don't see anything wrong with letting him compete, Master. It's something he's really good at," Viper noted.

"And we'll get to see the Emperor of China!" Crane added.

"And get free noodles!" Mantis said excitedly.

Tigress crouched down to a still unconvinced Shifu. "And it'll get him out of our fur for at least a week," she whispered.

Shifu's eyes widened a little. "Panda, I've changed my mind. You can compete in you contest," he said, already imagining a Jade Palace without Po.

"ALRIGHT! Thank you so much, Master Shifu!" Po exclaimed, picking Shifu up and hugging him before dropping the red panda unceremoniously and beginning to dance around the training hall with his father.

A/N: I'm back! I promised I'd write more Kung Fu Panda stuff, so here it is! I'm trying really hard to come up with a threequel to Big or Little Ears? and A Reminder, for those who care. PM me if you have an idea! But anyway, I hope you liked the beginning! Holla!


	2. The Most Dangerous Disease in the Land

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 2- The Most Dangerous Disease in the Land

"ACHOOOO!"

The Valley's doctor, Anubis, who was a jackal from Egypt and a skilled herbalist, came out of Po's room. Master Shifu was pacing back and forth in the hallway.

"You were right to call me, Shifu. That is one sick panda," Anubis said with a chuckle.

"How sick is he?" Shifu asked.

Anubis rubbed the back of his neck "Well, it's not quite like anything I've ever seen before. To tell you the truth, I'm not quite sure what it is. But as far as I can tell, it's not contagious, so it's okay if he has visitors. Just make sure he drinks lots of tea and gets plenty of rest for the next two weeks or so, and if he's not better by then, call me."

Shifu nodded. "Yes, of course."

Shifu was very concerned for Po. The others had woken him up at five in the morning, saying they heard rasping sounds coming from Po's room. When Shifu had gone in to wake the Dragon Warrior up, he was already up, coughing and a pale green tint covered his face. And, as anyone would have done, he called the doctor immediately, despite Po's many claims that he wasn't sick.

"OH SON! TIME TO GET TO WORK!"

Shifu twitched at the too familiar sound of Mr. Ping's yelling. And sure enough, the goose came waddling down the hallway with a happy demeanor about him. Shifu sighed. _Wonderful. Now I'm going to have to tell him that his son is too ill to compete. _

"Ah, Shifu! Wonderful morning, isn't it?" Mr. Ping asked happily.

"As it normally is. Mr. Ping, there is something important that I should tell y—"

"Where's my son? Still asleep? No wonder, he was always a late riser. I'll wake him up." Before Mr. Ping could reach for the doors, Shifu stepped in front of them.

"Mr. Ping, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but—"

"Is Po alright, Master Shifu?" Crane asked, coming down the hallway with Tigress.

"We brought him some soup," Tigress said, holding up the bowl.

"What's going on? What's wrong with him?" Mr. Ping asked, his voice rising in fear.

"Po's sick, Mr. Ping. He was coughing his lungs out this morning," Tigress explained.

"WHAT?" Mr. Ping pushed past Shifu and flung the doors to his son's room open. He gasped when he saw Po. Po's tongue was lolling out of his mouth. He had green spots all over his face and flamingo pink ones going down his arms and chest. His legs were swollen up to twice their size. And since they were big to begin with, you can only imagine.

"Ok, that's not normal," Crane said, a little disgusted.

"What's not normal?" Monkey asked, coming into the room. As soon as he saw Po's spots, he cracked up. "It looks like he was drawn on all over by Crane's crayons," he said, trying to hold in laughter.

"Hey, those are for wax drawings, they are not toys!" Crane said, defending his honor and his manliness.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Po asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Whoa. You sound terrible," Monkey told him.

"Really? Cuz I've never felt better." Just after Po finished the sentence, he started coughing up a storm.

"Someone go make him some tea," Shifu ordered. Crane quickly left.

"Do you feel well enough to eat? We brought you some soup," Tigress said, coming towards Po.

"NO!" Mr. Ping jumped up and knocked the bowl out of Tigress's hands. It smashed into a million pieces. Noodles and vegetables went everywhere. Tigress got sprayed with soup. "Po cannot have anything that even looks like a noodle come near him! Especially when he's got… IT!"

Some spooky music started playing in the background. Suddenly it went dark and lightning flashed behind him.

"What's 'IT'?" Monkey asked, lighting a lamp and holding it with his tail.

"IT is the most dreaded disease in all the land. It's so terrible in fact, that most never recover! They spent their life in agony and discomfort like you've never felt before. Worse than the MOST HOT AND DANGEROUS FLAMES IN HELL!! Another streak of lightning appeared.

"Well what is it?" Shifu asked.

"It's… it's… NOODLE FLU!"

Suddenly the scary music stopped playing and all the lights came on. Monkey's lamp burned out. "Noodle flu?" Tigress asked. Mr. Ping nodded and started to shake. Mantis and Viper entered with Crane, who now had a pot of tea.

"Hey, did you guys see that lightning? Some freaky weather we've been having," Mantis said, hopping onto Monkey's shoulder.

Viper slid over to Po. "So how are you feeling?" she asked tenderly.

"Really good actually," Po said weakly.

"That's weird. Because you sound like you swallowed a Mylar balloon," Mantis countered. Everyone glared at him. "What? We were all thinking it, I'm just saying it."

"So do you know what he has yet?" Crane asked, putting the tea down and pouring some into a cup.

"Maybe he swallowed your crayons," Monkey said. He and Mantis started cracking up.

"For the last time, they are NOT toys!" Crane yelled.

"Apparently he has noodle flu," Tigress said.

"What's noodle flu?" Viper asked.

Mantis whistled lowly. "Noodle flu? Really? That's too bad," he said sadly.

"This is not the best time for jokes, Mantis," Shifu warned.

"No, really this isn't a joke! My cousin Greg got noodle flu when he was seven. He eventually got over it, but he's just never been quite the same since," Mantis replied.

"It's a terrible disease, isn't it? And now Po has it!" Mr. Ping cried. He started to sob. Mantis hopped off Monkey shoulder and started patting Mr. Ping on the back.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Po will get over it in no time. He might be one of the lucky ones and not be affected by it."

"So what are the symptoms of 'noodle flu'?" Tigress asked. She still didn't fully believe that it was actually a disease.

"Well, first you get brightly colored spots on you and there's some abnormal swelling. I see Po has already reached that stage," Mantis said, looking over the panda.

"Then the swelling goes down and the patient gets extremely thin," Mr. Ping explained. Suddenly Po's legs looked as if they had gotten stuck in a Hoover with too much sucking power, as did the rest of his body.

"And then it's like you got filled with helium and you start floating all around the room." Sure enough, Po rose out of his bed and floated to the ceiling, bumping his head on it.

"Then you regain the weight and fall back down." Po's form popped back to normal and he fell back onto the bed with a crash.

"And then you start twitching uncontrollably," Mantis said. Po no longer had control of any part of his body as all his limbs and ligaments started moving in every direction spastically.

"And there have been some cases reported about the infected being able to breathe fire," Mr. Ping added. Po stopped twitching and opened his mouth, a huge burst of fire coming out.

"Well, unless Po can float on command, I'm pretty sure it's noodle flu," Crane said.

"No guys, really, I'm fine. After all, the contest is only a week away. We have a lot of work to do," Po rasped, trying to sit up.

"Oh no, no, no! You're not going anywhere near that contest! Do you want to take the chance of your stomach exploding and your guts spilling out?" Mr. Ping asked, helping his son lay back down. Everyone made a face, and Crane made some retching noises. "I don't know what I'm going to do now! I don't have an assistant for the contest now, and there's no way I'll have a chance of winning without help!" Mr. Ping said in distress.

"Maybe we could help," Viper offered.

"Yeah, we could be your assistants for the contest!" Mantis agreed.

"Would you really do that for me?" Mr. Ping asked, tears forming in his eyes.

"Of course we would. It would be our honor," Monkey chimed in.

"If it's alright with Master Shifu, of course," Tigress said.

"I suppose it would be alright," Shifu said after a long pause. The Five all exchanged high fives, except for Tigress, who just smiled.

"You know, Shifu, I always thought you had noodle flu as a child. The way your eye twitches was the real clue. It's one of the long term affects, you know," Mr. Ping said. Shifu just sighed and rubbed his temples.

A/N: Chapter 2 is done!


	3. Training Begins

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 3- Training Begins

Before the sun rose the next morning and stars were still in the sky, the bunkhouse was filled with the sound of a wok being hit with a wooden spoon. "TIME TO GET UP EVERYONE! RISE AND SHINE!"

Tigress was the first to stick her head outside her room. "What's going on?" she asked sleepily, stifling a yawn. Mr. Ping, of course, was in the hallway, holding the wok and the spoon.

"It's time for training, silly!" he said cheerfully.

Mantis slowly pushed the doors to his room open a little and leaned against one. "But the sun isn't even up yet," he groaned.

"Well of course it isn't! But if you want to have a jump on the competition, you have to think outside the box and get up early before the garbage truck comes and takes it away with you still in it!"

Tigress yawned again and laid her head on the door frame and closed her eyes, nearly falling asleep again. Mr. Ping threw open the doors to Monkey, Viper, and Crane's rooms. He started banging the spoon against the wok again.

"Come on, it's time for training! We only have six more days to prepare!" he called. Monkey dragged himself out of his room.

"Training… I don't want to do any more laps on the course, Master Shifu," he said, still half asleep.

Mr. Ping laughed and slapped Monkey on the back. "No, it's time for Noodle-Off training! Everybody up!" He got Crane and Viper up and out of bed, eventually.

"What is going on down there?"

Suddenly, the Five were all wide awake and looking a bit frantic. Shifu appeared at the end of the hallway. He had dark circles under his eyes and he was scowling. "What are you all doing up?" he asked angrily.

"We were awoken by the soothing sounds of a spoon against metal," Tigress said bitterly, glaring at Mr. Ping. Shifu gritted his teeth and joined Tigress in her glare.

"Aren't you worried about waking Po up?" Viper asked.

"Oh, of course not!" Mr. Ping opened the doors to Po's room and tiptoed inside. Then he started banging loudly on the wok right next to Po's ears. Po didn't move, he just kept right on snoring. "You see? He's out like a rock!" Mr. Ping yelled over his own banging.

Shifu stormed over to the goose and grabbed the spoon out of his hand, breaking it in half.

"He'll probably be asleep for the next several days, it's very common with noodle flu to have long spells of sleep," Mr. Ping explained, throwing the wok aside.

"Well, students, if you'll all kindly follow Mr. Ping to wherever you could possibly be training. I expect you all to be on your best behavior. Remember, you represent the Jade Palace," Master Shifu said. The Five bowed to him, and he returned the gesture. "Now if you'll all excuse me, I'm going back to sleep with duct tape over my ears," he grumbled, heading back towards his room.

The Five reluctantly followed Mr. Ping out of the Jade Palace and to his noodle shop, where he gave them all aprons to wear. "Now, the first key to good noodles is fresh ingredients."

He held up two carrots, one in each wing. The one in his left wing was fresh and a bright shade of orange. The one in his right was dried up and had huge patches of purple mold growing on it. "You wouldn't want to take a bite out of this, would you?" he asked, holding the rotten carrot out. Everyone took a step away from it as it began to move on its own.

Mr. Ping quickly threw the carrot over his shoulder and out a window. "But see this ripe and juicy carrot?" He snapped it in half cleanly. "That is a grade-A noodle soup carrot! It's very important for carrots in soup to be just perfectly ripe so that they don't get soggy, but not too ripe that they go bad. Always remember that."

Mantis was taking notes on a notepad and pencil. "Ripe carrots that won't get soggy and gross. Got it." As the sun started to rise on the horizon, Mr. Ping showed his new pupils the tricks of the trade.

"Now for a very important part of the soup. Cutting the vegetables into the right size," he said, almost bursting from excitement.

"The right size? Why does that matter?" Tigress asked.

"Because if you cut them too small, you don't get enough flavors into the soup. Cut them too big, and you'll choke to death!" Mr. Ping explained, wringing an imaginary neck as he said it. He ran over to one of the cabinets and threw it open, revealing rows of knifes of all sizes.

"I call the butcher knife!" Mantis yelled, grabbing the blade out of the cupboard and hopping back to the counter.

"Hold on there! It takes a lot of skill to handle a butcher knife. And it might be just a bit big for someone your size," Mr. Ping warned. Mantis grabbed a bunch of leeks and threw them into the air, chopping them into perfect pieces before they could hit the counter again. Mr. Ping looked from the knife to Mantis. "Ok, you get the butcher knife!"

Mantis grinned. So for the next hour or two, they all worked on chopping vegetables.

"You know, this isn't so bad. Kind of relaxing, actually," Crane said as he chopped a leek.

"It's a lot easier than kung fu," Monkey added. Mantis threw up a pepper and chopped it with ease. He had easily gotten the hang of everything almost as soon as Mr. Ping showed them.

"Cooking is easy. But it still takes dedication and practice to get it just right. Just like kung fu," he said happily.

Tigress was another story. She had a hard time getting used to chopping, and was still using the little paring knife that everyone except Mantis had started on, while the others got to begin using slightly larger knives.

Mantis hopped onto Mr. Ping's shoulder. "Not everyone had the gift," he whispered. Mr. Ping nodded. Tigress grit her teeth.

_They think I can't hear them. I'm just as good as everyone else! _She looked down at the mangled onion she had tried to chop. _Well, at least I try and I don't show off! Mantis doesn't always have to make such a show of everything. _

She sighed and continued to try and chop her onion, pushing the feelings of jealousy to the back corners of her heart.

Too bad that's where jealousy flourishes best.


	4. The Rival

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 4- The Rival

Mr. Ping smiled. All of his new students were progressing very well for only their second day of training. None quite as well as Master Mantis, but they were moving along nicely.

But his thoughts skidded to a stop at Master Tigress. She was the most powerful of the group at kung fu, and definitely the most beautiful, but she just wasn't cooking very well. _I suppose some people just weren't meant to be chefs, but still… I've never seen anyone this… terrible. _

He watched solemnly as Tigress garbled a bok choy while trying to dice it. She sighed and cleared the mess away before getting a new one and beginning again. _Though I must admit, she is persistent._ People were starting to fill into the streets and into the noodle shop. Mr. Ping hopped onto the counter.

"Alright, students. Here's your first test. Some customers can be grueling and picky when it comes to their noodles, and others don't care one way or another. But it's up to you five to make every single one of them happy and well-fed. I will be preparing the noodles, but you must use your head and your people skills to decide what goes inside. Good luck!" He scrambled down and started pulling out bowls and stirring pots of noodles.

Tigress bit her lip. Her people skills were better than her cooking skills, but not by much. This was going to be a long day. A long string of customers lined up at the counter, waiting for noodles, and a little shocked to see China's greatest warriors serving them their meal. But some of the customers were too hungry to notice. And one was just ignorant.

He was a large pig with a mole on his chin. He whistled lowly when he saw Tigress. "Hey, sexy. Come here often?" he asked as he leaned against the counter.

"Excuse me?" Tigress asked. Monkey and Viper glanced at each other with worry in their eyes.

"What's a beautiful girl like you doing in a dump like this?" he asked, brushing his hoof over her paw.

"Oh geez," Crane whispered.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not interested, and this is hardly the way you should treat people in public. Here." He pushed a bowl of noodles at him and turned her back to him to get something off the counter.

"Hey, don't be like that, honey. Maybe you and I should go somewhere a little less crowded," he purred, lowering his eyelids.

"I said no. If you'll be so kind as to take your soup and go," she snapped. The hog tried to grab at her waist, but Tigress kicked him swiftly with a well-placed spin kick over the countertop. It hit him in the nose and sent him into the side wall of the shop.

"Tigress!" Viper yelled.

"What's going on over here?" Mr. Ping asked, rushing over. A few of the other customers had ran over to help the pig. His nose was bleeding and had turned a deep shade of purple.

"What did you do that for?" Mantis demanded.

"Did you not just see what he tried to do to me? It was self defense!" she defended.

"But you can't go attacking our customers! No one will want to eat here if they think that they're going to be kicked in the face! And you're so much stronger than that guy, he could be seriously hurt!" Mantis yelled.

"So what, I'm supposed to let my honor be reduced to nothing and act like a whore so that he'll come back and probably do it again?" Tigress asked.

"Alright, alright, break it up. There's no need to fight about this," Mr. Ping insisted, coming between them, "You two just take a quick break from each other. Master Mantis, go back to preparing soup. Master Tigress, why don't you… um… take dish duty! We need clean bowls if we're going to have good soup! No one wants to eat out of something that someone's spit in," he said optimistically.

Tigress crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine." She walked out the back door to get water for washing. Mantis shook his head before returning to the counter. When Tigress finally came back with the water, the pig had gotten to his feet and was holding a cloth up to his nose to catch the blood. Tigress locked eyes with him and growled a little.

He ran out of there faster than Twitchy the Squirrel on caffeine.

Tigress chuckled at him as she added soap to the water and began washing the dishes. "Well, Ping, isn't this a pleasant sight. I see your new staff is causing just as much trouble as your son did."

Mr. Ping froze where he was standing. "N-no. It c-c-can't be!"

"What's up?" Monkey asked, putting down the knife he was using and waving a hand in front of Mr. Ping's face.

"I know that voice. I haven't heard it since I was a young man, but I would know it anywhere," Mr. Ping said.

"Well who is it?" Viper asked.

"M-Mrs. Ding!" There was a loud roll of thunder.

Crane looked up at the sky. "Where have all these thunderstorms been coming from?" A goose stepped through the crowd and appeared at the counter. He looked just as old as Mr. Ping. They looked a lot alike, except this goose had blue robes that looked a lot like the maroon ones that Mr. Ping wore. And she was a woman.

"Ping, it has been a while, hasn't it?" Mrs. Ding asked. Mr. Ping's usual happy demeanor was gone.

"I suppose it has. What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm here for the Championship Noodle-Off. My son and I are entering. Speaking of offspring, where is your son? Usually he would have tipped something over by now," Mrs. Ding taunted. Tigress twitched a little at that. Even though Po wasn't exactly graceful, he wasn't that clumsy. And she had come to respect him, clumsiness and all.

"Po is… not feeling well at the moment," Mr. Ping said tensely.

"What, did he eat too much?" Mrs. Ding asked.

"For your information, he's very ill. He hasn't been able to move for three days," Tigress said angrily.

"I knew that boy would eat himself to death! Ever since he was born, I knew!" Mrs. Ding yelled triumphantly.

"Hey, leave Po out of this. He's not helping his dad in the contest, but we are," Crane warned.

"Yeah. And we're all kung fu masters. Mess with Po, and you mess with us!" Mantis threatened.

Mrs. Ding scoffed. "Kung fu masters, huh? Well that won't do you much good in the Noodle-Off. Unless you plan to threaten the judges." Tigress clenched her teeth.

"Excuse me, madam, but this is a place of business. Unless you're here to buy some of our soup, we'll have to ask you to leave," she said sternly. Mrs. Ding looked her over.

"Very well. Good luck at the contest, Ping. You'll need it more than I." And she left the noodle shop.

"Who was that?" Viper asked.

"Mrs. Hua Ding. She and I were very good friends in our childhood. We did everything together. She even helped in this noodle shop. She's also Po's godmother. And when they were growing up, her son Dongwa and Po were best friends," he explained.

"Well it's definitely not good for us that she worked here. That could be a disadvantage to us. A big one. Does she know the secret recipe for your noodles, Mr. Ping? It could mean murder for us at the contest if she's using the same recipe as us," Mantis said dismally.

"Oh, of course not! No one outside of the family knows that recipe. And I'll be a dead rooster before she finds out the secret. She just helped around the shop, washing dishes and doing the supplies shopping for me. Then one day, she and Dongwa just up and left, taking everything they owned with them. We never saw her again until now," he explained.

"What about Dongwa's father? Did he leave with them?" Tigress asked.

"Dongwa was adopted, my dear. He never knew his real mother and father. Of course, Jia was motherly enough for the both of them," Mr. Ping said reflectively, a small smile forming on his mouth.

"Who's Jia?" Monkey asked.

"She was Po's mother. Yes, Jia loved Dongwa as if he were Po's brother. But, only a few days before Mrs. Ding disappeared, we found out that Jia was pregnant again with Po's sister," Mr. Ping added.

"I didn't know Po had a sister," Crane said in disbelief.

"He does not," Mr. Ping sighed. He was wringing his wings together. "Both Jia and Po's sister died shortly after she was born." The Five all looked at the ground. "Well, enough of this sadness we have customers to attend to!" Mr. Ping cheered. The Five exchanged glances, all wondering how he could bounce back so fast from talking about such a sensitive subject.

Most of the customers had gathered around the counter to hear Mr. Ping's tale, but quickly went back to their seats when they were noticed. "Looks like your storytelling is really great for business, Mr. Ping," Mantis noted, looking at the new people that had joined the crowd around the counter to order.

Mr. Ping shrugged. "It's all in the genes." Tigress sighed.

_Genes that I obviously don't have. Back to dish duty. _"Excuse me, Master Tigress?" She looked around to see who had called her name, but didn't notice anyone looking at her. "Down here, Master Tigress!" She leaned over the counter and looked down to the ground. A small rabbit girl was standing there, smiling brightly.

"Um, yes?" Tigress asked.

"I thought it was really brave of you to kick that guy. There are these bullies who won't leave me alone, but now I can just kick their butts like you did!" She imitated the kick that Tigress used, but fell to the ground in the process.

Tigress giggled. "Well, you shouldn't use kung fu just to get someone to go away, only for self-defense. But that was very good for a beginner." The rabbit's eyes sparkled.

"Really?" Tigress nodded. She took a bowl of plain soup and started chopping vegetables to put in it for the little girl.

"If you practice and work hard, you could be a kung fu master. All it takes is the drive," she explained.

"Do you think I could be as good as you?" the girl asked hopefully. Tigress smiled and scooped the vegetables into the soup.

"Anything is possible if you believe in yourself. To tell you the truth, I've never cooked before in my life. I'm doing this as a favor for a friend of mine." She handed the bowl of noodles down to the girl. "This one is free."

The rabbit grinned and thanked her before running back to her mother. Tigress was still smiling as she went back to washing dishes. But what she didn't notice was that all the vegetables she had chopped were perfect.

Mr. Ping smiled as he watched her scrub bowls. _She may not know it yet, but that girl has the heart of a master chef._

A/N: Finally, I updated this! The fact that I hadn't updated yet was nagging at the back of my mind. So I sat down and wrote this all day. I've just been popping out these chapters that are a little over or under two thousand words. My usual minimum for word count is 1000, so that's pretty good for me. Holla!


	5. Shopping

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 5- Shopping

The Noodle-Off was only four days away. Booths were already being constructed and the smell of noodles thickened the air and made everyone's stomach growl with hunger. The market was full of noodlemakers and their assistants, buying ingredients and arguing over prices.

Tigress and Mantis had been sent to buy more ginger, and to try and work things out. Their arguing had gotten worse. They didn't have any more explosive arguments, but they kept making little insults and snips at each other. Mr. Ping had said, "You can come back after you've put this silly arguing behind you. I can't have any of you getting distracted." Mantis wasn't exactly happy about it.

"Can't believe I got kicked out… sent to buy ginger… didn't even do anything!" he grumbled. Tigress rolled her eyes as she approached one of the market stalls. _Drama queen. And yes, I mean queen. _

"Excuse me, do you have any ginger?" she asked the merchant.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, we're fresh out. With all the extra chefs in town for the competition, I've barely been able to keep anything in stock," she said remorsefully.

"It's alright, thank you anyway," she said quickly before going to the next stall.

"Can we get the ginger and go? What's taking so long?" Mantis asked after the third place they tried.

"I'm sorry, but everyone's been sold out so far. I can't wave my hands and make it magically appear!" she snapped.

"If you could do that, we wouldn't be here, would we?" he asked. She scoffed and shook her head. _He could at least try not to be rude. _She needed a break from him. And this little shopping trip was a perfect window to getting just that.

There was still the groceries that had to be bought. Mr. Ping had given them a very long list of other things to get along with the ginger that he **said** he was running low on. Normally it would take a while for all of the things on the list to be found and paid for, but if they split the work, it would take only half the time and Tigress would be able to escape for an hour or two.

"Alright, how about this. We each take half of the list and get everything done as quickly as possible. That way you get back to the noodle shop faster and I don't have to keep dragging you around everywhere. Sound fair?" she asked, ripping the list.

"What about the goose?" Mantis asked.

"We'll meet up before going back and tell Mr. Ping that we worked everything out like we were supposed to," she added.

He glared at her. "So you want us to lie to Mr. Ping for our own gain?" he asked disapprovingly.

"Yes."

His frown turned into a smile. "That's sneaky. I like it." She handed him his half of the list, and they went their separate ways. _Thank goodness. At least now I don't have to hear him whining. _She approached the next stall for the first item on her list, powdered allspice. She spotted the last bag of it in a linen lined basket. She reached for it, but her paw collided with another striped paw.

She looked up to argue with whoever it was that was keeping her from finishing her shopping, but stopped when she saw his face. He had a strong face with large, luminescent _purple _eyes. _I've never seen anyone with purple eyes before. _

"Um… did you want this?" the tiger asked, picking up the bag of allspice and holding it out to her.

Tigress' mind was still swimming in his eyes, but her mouth started to move and sounds came out anyway. "Well, yeah… but if you need it…" she stammered nervously.

"It's alright, ladies first. I insist," he said, pressing the bag into her hand. She flushed bright red as she paid for the allspice and got her change.

"Thank you, that was very gracious of you," she thanked him as they stepped away from the crowded stall.

"It was no trouble. Especially for one of the Furious Five," he said.

She blushed again. "You know who I am?"

"I would have to have been hiding in a dark cave with no contact to the outside world in any way whatsoever not to know who you are. And it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said, raising her hand and kissing it. She giggled and covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry for laughing, I just didn't think anyone actually kissed a girl's hand anymore," she apologized.

He chuckled. "Well, chivalry isn't dead with me. Not yet. My name is Dongwa." Tigress's brain skidded to a stop.

"Wait… Dongwa?" she asked. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I know, it's a stupid name, but my mom is kind of… eccentric, if you will."

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I just… you're going to think this is really strange, but I know who you are."

Dongwa looked really confused. "How do you know me?" he asked.

"Mr. Ping told me about you, he said—" She was cut off.

"You know Mr. Ping? Wow, it's been years since I've seen him. And how's Po? You know him too, right?" Dongwa asked excitedly.

She nodded. "He's the Dragon Warrior."

Completely and utterly shocked was a good way to describe the look on his face. "The… Dragon Warrior? You're kidding me, right? Po, as in, Po the giant panda?" he stuttered. She nodded again.

"It shocked me at first too. And I was actually there when he was chosen." He opened his mouth to ask another question, but then closed it. There was a long pause before he spoke again.

"So, I guess you need to get back to the Jade Palace. It truly was a pleasure to meet you," he said. Tigress noticed a little disappointment in his voice.

"Well, actually, I need to finish my grocery shopping. You see, Po isn't able to be in the contest, so all of the Furious Five are helping Mr. Ping for the next few days," she explained.

"Really? The Furious Five in the Championship Noodle-Off? When I've seen that, I'll have seen everything," he joked.

Tigress laughed again. Since Po had come to the Jade Palace and had gotten her to loosen up a little, she was laughing more and more as of late. But it felt extremely natural to laugh at Dongwa's jokes and comments. She failed to notice that the sun was rapidly sinking closer to the earth as they continued to talk, and didn't notice when it finally sank beneath the horizon either.

A/N: I know I'm terrible, but I couldn't resist sneaking in a little ghost of a romance in here. But I swore to myself that I would do at least one non-romance fic, so don't be scanning the chapters eagerly for the first signs of romance. They won't be there, unless I'm not as good of a writer as I think. And in case you're wondering about why Dongwa was a little embarrassed by his name, Dongwa means "wintermelon". Holla!


	6. Explosion

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 6- Explosion

"WHERE THE HELL IS TIGRESS?" Mantis yelled, pacing on the counter. It had been long past sundown, and the stars were now sparkling across the sky.

"I'm worried about her. She should have been back by now. What if she's injured?" Viper asked frantically.

"What I don't understand is why she didn't come back with you, Mantis. Weren't you two supposed to do the shopping together to work out your problems?" Monkey asked. Mantis rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, you see, we split the shopping list in half so that we could get the work done faster, and we were supposed to meet up before coming back here, but she never showed."

"I could fly above the village and look for her," Crane proposed.

Mr. Ping was about to have him do just that when a very pleased Tigress came in through the arch. "Hello everyone."

"Tigress!" They all rushed around her and started asking various questions about where she had been and what she had been doing for the past hours. All except Mantis.

"WHERE exactly have you been, young lady?" he asked angrily.

"I was in the market, just like I was supposed to be," she said.

"For the **entire** day? How long does it take you to get half a grocery list of stuff?" he asked. Tigress felt a hard pinch in her stomach. It must have shown on her face, because her friends immediately picked up on it.

"What? What is it?" Crane asked.

"Well… um… I might have forgotten to finish my shopping," she confessed, biting her bottom lip.

"Oh, well THIS just is the icing on the cake!" Mantis screamed.

"I'm sorry, alright! I was talking to someone and I lost track of the time!" she defended, striding up to him and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Who were you talking to? It's not like your thick with the girls your age in the village who do nothing but gossip all day and stare at boys," Monkey countered. Tigress bit her lip again.

_Chance of Mantis turning into a mini A-bomb when he finds out I was with Dongwa all day: 99.99999999999999999999. _

"Well? Who were you with?" Mr. Ping asked.

Tigress took a silent deep breath. "I—I might have run into Mrs. Ding's son," she finally confessed. Mantis's jaw dropped. _That little traitor! He's part of our biggest competition! _Everyone else didn't seem that angry. They were even a little excited.

"Really? What was he like?" Viper asked.

"He was… nice," she said serenely, lowering her eyelids halfway.

"Oh yes, Dongwa was always such a gentleman. But he never seemed to notice, and he was always too busy for a girlfriend," Mr. Ping happily.

"It doesn't matter if he's nice or not, he's the enemy!" Mantis insisted.

Mr. Ping took a swing at him with a ladle. "Now listen here. Dongwa and his mother may be our competition, but that's no reason to insult their honor. Besides, it's good to keep your friends close, and your enemies closer," Mr. Ping said, a sinister look crossing his face for a second. The Five stared at him, a little scared. "Now let's get this placed closed for the night, hmm? I'm sure you're all very tired and want to get some rest."

"Mr. Ping, I've barely worked at all today. I'll close up, I need to do my fair share," Tigress offered, guilt getting the best of her.

"Alright, then it's settled. A good night's sleep to all of you, and I'll be waiting for you at sunrise." Mr. Ping disappeared through the shop and up a flight of stairs.

"You're sure that you can manage by yourself, Tigress?" Viper asked.

"I'll be fine. I'll see you up at the Jade Palace. Tell Master Shifu where I am if he asks," she insisted. Mantis was already gone, but Crane, Monkey, and Viper all said slow goodbyes to Tigress before leaving the shop.

Tigress sighed as she looked at all the work to be done. There were tables, knives, and utensils to be washed, supplies to organize, and floors to be swept. She grabbed the broom and started to sweep. _Suddenly I feel a lot like… _

"Cinderella?"

She turned around to see Dongwa's piercing eyes gazing at her. "Dongwa?" He smiled and stepped into the shop.

"What is a fair young lady such as yourself doing here so late, sweeping the floors?" he asked. Tigress smiled. Mr. Ping had been right about Dongwa being a gentleman. Normally the tone that Tigress heard with those kinds of complements was slick and suggestive, but his tone was soft and endearing. She liked it.

"Paying my dues from having snuck off. You know, when I was in the market today, I met the strangest young man who kept me from my work. I think he might have something to do with this," she said teasingly and continuing to sweep.

"I'm sorry for getting you into trouble. Is there anything that I could do to help?" he offered.

"You could fetch my fairy godmother; I think that she's around here somewhere, getting fat off of Mr. Ping's noodles," she joked.

Dongwa laughed. "That's what I'd be doing if I were a fairy godmother and only had to work when I was summoned. I used to come here all the time to hang out with Po and eat. I'm surprised that I don't weigh two hundred pounds from all my childhood eating. But to be completely honest, I just lost a lot of weight on the trip over here."

Tigress looked over his frame. He didn't have a lot of muscles, but he was slender and she had a hard time believing him.

"So, Cinderella, are you sure there's nothing I can do to help? I really do feel terrible about this. Though my mother would probably be ecstatic if she knew." Tigress lightly chuckled at that, but turned her eyes back down to the floor.

"No, I think I should just finish as quickly as I can and be done with it. I have to be up before sunrise tomorrow to work on noodles. And to be honest, I'm terrible."

"You can't be that bad. I'm sure you cook just fine," he soothed, sitting on one of the tables.

"No, really, I'm the worst out of all of us—especially compared to Mantis. He's just… completely gifted at this, and I'm not. That's just the way it's supposed to be, I guess," she said sullenly.

"But it doesn't have to be." He took the broom from her hands and started sweeping for her. "If you let others guide you." She smiled a little brighter and got a rag and a bucket of soapy water so she could wash everything. And with Dongwa's help, the shop was sparkling clean and ready for tomorrow.

"Thank you so much, you didn't have to," she said quietly.

"I know, but I wanted to. Even Cinderella had help from those mice that made her dress," he said, a gleam in his eye.

Tigress laughed, "You just will not give up on that analogy, will you?" He grinned.

"Nope. That's just the kind of guy that I am."

There was a long awkward pause. "Well… I suppose I should be going home. There are a lot of steps," Tigress said, secretly dreading the walk up.

"Well, you don't have to go home yet, if you don't want to," Dongwa said uncertainly.

"Really? So where do you propose that I go?" she asked.

"If you would allow me to be your magical pumpkin coach, then I could take you to this place in the Valley. You can even see the Jade Palace from it," he coaxed. Tigress bit her lip.

"I… I don't know. My friends will probably be worried about me, I… I don't think I should."

"Come on, Tigress. If you don't take any chances in life, then you'll never live. Please? I promise this isn't some trick to get you to sleep with me." Tigress looked into Dongwa's eyes.

It wasn't the promise of no come-ons that caught her attention. He had called her Tigress. Before this conversation, he had addressed her as Master Tigress or as Cinderella. Very few people called her Tigress, and this became more apparent as she thought about it.

Dongwa held out his hand to her, smiling hopefully. She paused for one more moment before placing her paw in his and allowing him to lead her out of the shop.

A/N: I AM WEAK! I'm so sorry to everyone who thought, _Finally, she's mixing up her genres and getting away from romance for a while!_ I'm just compelled to it, like a fly to a bug zapper. But there is still hope, I haven't completely decided if I wanted them to be together yet. So don't hate me! And I'm glad I finally updated this! Holla!


	7. Cinderella's Escape

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 7- Cinderella's Escape

"You weren't kidding when you said you could see the Jade Palace from here."

"Of course not. I can lie to a lady of your standing," Dongwa said. Tigress was enthralled with the view. It had taken a while for them to get to where they were going, but it was totally worth it.

They were on a path on the side of a mountain, and you could see the entire village below. Soft green grass covered this part of the path, and it was wide enough that they could both sit and stretch their legs out without their feet going over the edge.

"Po and I found this place when we were kids. Our parents nearly cut off our heads and mounted them above their fireplaces for wandering off and being gong so long, but I think it was worth the price."

Tigress nodded. "It's beautiful. I've lived in the Valley my whole life, and I never knew that this was here."

"That's why I wanted to take you here," he told her, "You don't seem to have much free time."

"I have free time, I just don't use it to go to strange mountains very often," she joked, pushing him lightly on the shoulder.

He chuckled. "Alright, Queen of Comedy, then tell me. What do you do in your free time?"

"I meditate, I talk to the Five and to Po, I go off with strange men…" She stopped the list there, trailing off.

He smiled and said, "Am I really a stranger to you anymore?" Tigress didn't respond. She did know a lot about him from the few hours that they had talked. In fact, she got to know him more quickly than any of her friends.

"What about you? Making noodles must take up a lot of your time," she asked quietly.

"Well… I like making noodles, I just… actually, the more I think about it, the more I hate cooking."

Tigress' eyes widened. "But, your mother said that you two were entering the contest, I just thought—"

"That I would be so in love with my predestined line of work? Trust me, Po doesn't know how lucky he is to be chosen as the Dragon Warrior. He always wanted to learn kung fu. But at least he enjoyed making noodles. I really hate it. I don't know why, I just do," he shrugged.

She smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "You know, it's alright to not want to be a cook. You're allowed to have your own dreams."

"Not with my mother. She's always making me work harder and giving me more hours, especially with the contest coming up; I never have a moment to dream about something else. She has some sort of grudge on Mr. Ping," he said.

"A grudge?"

"Yeah, she's always mumbling about it under her breath when she thinks I'm not listening. She never really talks about it, so I don't know why she despises him like she does, but I'm not one to pry. Besides, she's my mom. That wouldn't really be good repayment for the food, shelter, clothing, and love she's given me since I was a kid," he explained.

"Mr. Ping told us that you were adopted," Tigress mentioned.

Dongwa nodded. "I was in an orphanage for a few years. I don't really remember it very well. But what I do remember is this girl who had lived in the orphanage her entire life, I think she was about sixteen or seventeen years old. She was the only other tiger at the orphanage, and I remember she always used to sing to me and rock me to sleep. It was always the same lullaby. I… I wish I could remember the name of it. I remember some of the lyrics, but the memory's fading. Pretty soon I won't remember it at all."

Tigress glanced away from him for a minute. "Well… maybe if you sing it, you'll remember it." He looked at her, one eyebrow raised.

"You want me to sing it?" he asked.

"No, I just thought maybe if you sung it, you'd remember it," she said defensively, her voice getting sharp.

"Relax. It's not a stupid idea or anything. Maybe I'm just not a very good singer," he said, smirking at her.

"I doubt that."

"Why?" She shrugged.

"Maybe it's not that you're not a good singer, more than it's that you're too shy to sing in front of people."

He laughed. "I am not afraid to sing in front of people!"

"Then sing right now. Sing whatever parts of the lullaby you know," she challenged.

"I… I can't." He turned his head completely away from her, rubbing on his arm lightly. Tigress stared at him for a few moments, then turned his face so he was looking at her again.

"Why not?"

He gazed deeply into her eyes. "Maybe I don't want to make a fool of myself. Or maybe it just hurts."

She put her paw over his. "You won't make a fool of yourself. It's just you and me up here."

Dongwa didn't say anything.

"Can—can I sing you my childhood lullaby?"

He looked up at her. "Before I was sent up to the Jade Palace, my mother always used to sing to me. She had the most beautiful voice that I have ever heard. I remember a lot of the songs she used to sing to me, but there was one that I remember best. She sung it to me when it was thunderstorming and I would have trouble sleeping. I'll sing it for you… if you want me to," she offered quietly.

A little smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Sure… if you don't mind singing it to me." She smiled for a second. Then fear seized her heart.

_What was I thinking? I can't sing! My voice will crack, or I'll be off-key or something! I can't do this. _"What's wrong?" he asked.

"No-nothing's wrong, I just… don't sing very often. So don't be surprised if I make your ears bleed." He squeezed her paw and gave her a supportive smile. She took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing…_

"**Come stop your crying, it'll be alright. **

**Just take my hand, hold it tight.**

**I will protect you from all around you.**

**I will be here, don't you cry.**

**For one so small you seem so strong,**

**My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm.**

**This bond between us can't be broken,**

**I will be here, don't you cry.**

'**Cause you'll be in my heart**

**Yes, you'll be in my heart.**

**From this day on, now and forevermore.**

**You'll be in my heart,**

**No matter what they say,**

**You'll be here in my heart always.**

**Always."**

She finished the song, looking out over the valley. She could spot the house where her mother and father still lived. Dongwa was speechless for a few moments.

"Was I really that terrible?" she whispered.

He squeezed her paw again and turned her face to look at him. "That was beautiful. You have a gorgeous voice." She blushed and turned away from him again.

"Do you see your mother often?" he asked. She nodded.

"I go and visit my parents every week or so."

"They must be very proud of you." She smiled.

"I'm sure wherever your parents are, they're proud of you too."

He looked out over the valley. "I doubt my parents are still alive."

"Why? Just because you were in an orphanage doesn't mean they're dead," she comforted.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T THEY WANT ME?" he yelled.

Tigress shrunk back. She felt terrible. _You had to egg him on about this, didn't you? It's a sensitive topic, you shouldn't be forcing him to talk about it. _

"I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you angry, or sad, I just… I don't know," she apologized. Dongwa took a deep breath.

"No. It's not your fault. I shouldn't have yelled. But I think you should know, I envy you Tigress. You're so lucky that you get to visit your parents every week. To see them and to touch them. To know they exist and that they love you. I would give anything to have that."

She smiled. "And I think you should know this—whether your parents are watching us right now from Heaven or if they're still out there, they love you and they're thinking about you. I just know it. There's something in my heart that's telling me that they are."

He paused. "Do you want to hear what I can remember of that lullaby?" She nodded and leaned against him, putting her head on his shoulder.

"I'd like that."

"But I have to warn you, I don't remember much. It probably won't make much sense." She chuckled.

"I want to hear it, Dongwa. Whatever you can remember."

"**Let those eyes sparkle and shine, never a tear, baby of mine.**

**You are so precious to me, cute as can be."**

"And that's all I remember," he said.

"I thought it was lovely. I don't know the song, but it sounds like the whole thing would be wonderful," she commented.

He smiled fondly. "I can still hear her voice sometimes, in my dreams." She closed her eyes. _It's nice and warm out tonight, and the moon is out… and it's getting late… I think I'll just rest for a moment… _

"Tigress? Master Tigress?" Her eyes snapped open when Dongwa gently nudged her. "Maybe we should head back down. It's probably past midnight," he said, looking up at the moon.

"You're right. I'm going to be in so much trouble tomorrow if I'm late," she agreed, accepting his hands to help her stand up.

"But you had fun, right? It was worth it?" he asked, a sparkle in his eye. She smiled appreciatively.

"Yes. It was definitely worth it. Thank you, Prince Charming," she teased, curtsying.

"My pleasure, Cinderella," he said, bowing and kissing her hand. She giggled. "May I escort the fair lady back to her Palace?" he requested.

She nodded and linked their arms together. "Of course, Prince Charming. Who am I, as a lady, to refuse such a kind act of chivalry?" They both laughed and left the hillside together.

A/N: Ok, I know that there are two songs in here, but no matter what you do, do NOT say in your review what the second one is, or what you think the second one is, even if you're dying to know if you're right. Seriously, don't! Please?


	8. Rifts

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 8- Rifts

Tigress snuck into the Jade Palace without making a sound.

She and Dongwa had walked back to the inn where he and his mother were staying for the competition. He had said to her upon their parting, "Adieu, sweet princess. See you soon, Cinderella."

Then they had gone their separate ways. By the time she got back up to the Jade Palace, it was a little after one in the morning. _I'm going to regret having stayed up so late tomorrow. But being with Dongwa… he's a really great friend. _

She had to be careful of the squeaky floorboards in the bunkhouse, but made it to her room without waking anyone up. As soon as she was inside and the door shut tight, she fell onto her bed and started giggling.

"Well, it looks like someone finally decided to come home."

She stopped and looked to the door. Mantis was standing there with a peeved look on his face. "How long does it take to clean up the shop?" he asked.

"I was taking my time and making myself suffer for what I did to you," she answered sarcastically.

"You were out with Ding's son, weren't you?" he asked angrily.

"So what if I was? It's none of your business."

"Tigress, he's our competition! You can't be running around with him!" he yelled as quietly as possible.

"Dongwa isn't a bad guy! He's really sweet and charming!" she defended.

"Aww, isn't that cute. You have a crush on him. Well you'd better get over it," he snapped.

"I do not have a crush on him! We're just friends," she clarified.

"Sure, just friends. That's what they all say. Now listen to what I'm saying. There are three days left before the competition. If we want to win, then we have to be 100 dedicated. And you've been showing a huge lack of dedication!"

Tigress rolled her eyes. "Mantis, you're taking this too seriously. You've become more obsessed than Mr. Ping!"

"Well sorry for being better than you at something for once! You know, you've always been like this, Tigress. Whenever someone can to do something that you can't, you make it your mission to be better than them! Like when Po defeated Tai Lung when you couldn't. You doubled up on training for two weeks and barely ate anything! Just because I'm better at cooking than you are doesn't mean you have to throw a fit about it," he scolded.

"A fit! I am not throwing a fit! Being friends with someone because you enjoy their company isn't throwing a fit! I'm not throwing the fit, Mantis. You are!" she accused, pointing at him.

"You were always Master Shifu's favorite! He may not have patted you on the back every time that you did something he was proud of, but he was proud of you! He was way more proud of you than he ever was of the rest of us! Didn't you know that? And when I finally find something that he can be proud of me for, that I'm better at than you, it's too good for the high Master of the Tiger style!"

"What does that have to do with me being out with Dongwa? Isn't that what you're yelling at me for?" she asked bitterly.

"You know what? Fine! If you want to be friends with him, go ahead. But you can forget about being friends with me!"

"Fine!"

"FINE!"

"Guys? What's going on?" Po was leaning against the open doors, coughing quietly.

"Po. You're up," Tigress said worriedly.

"Yeah, I heard you guys from my room. What's going on?" he wheezed.

"You're supposed to be resting, Po. You should go back to bed. Tigress and I weren't talking about anything that you need to worry about," Mantis said.

"Come on, I'll help you get back into your bed." Tigress put a comforting hand on his back and led him from the room.

"Would like some tea?" she asked as she helped him lay back down.

"Tea would be nice. Thanks."

"I'll go make it," Mantis volunteered, hopping off towards the kitchen.

"So what are you guys doing up so late?" Po asked.

"Well… I was talking with someone who's entering the contest. I think you might know him," she said, a smile forming on her lips.

"Really? Who?"

"Dongwa Ding." Po's eyes lit up, and he was grinning.

Really? No lie?" She nodded. "Wow, I haven't seen him in forever! How is he?" he asked excitedly.

"He's very well. You should have seen his face when I told him you were the Dragon Warrior. He was very surprised," she told him.

"I can't believe he and Mrs. Ding are back in the Valley! This is so cool. We have to invite him up here so that I can see him again. We used to hang out all the time together. He was my best friend until he and his mom moved away. How do you know him?" Po asked.

"We met in the market. He's really nice," she said, smiling.

"Yeah, he's great. And he actually tells funny jokes, unlike mine." Mantis came back in with the tea.

"Here you go, one piping hot pot of tea." Tigress poured a cup and gently poured it down Po's throat.

"Thanks. I've been parched all day. So how's training for the Noodle-Off going?" Mantis and Tigress exchanged a glance.

They both said in unison, "Good."

"That's great. Anyone got any talent, or am I missing a really good source of entertainment?" he asked.

"You should see Tigress. She can't cook to save her life!" Mantis laughed.

Tigress scowled and helped Po drink more of the tea. "Well Mantis is actually very gifted. At cooking and at showing off," she fired back.

"Awesome! Maybe my dad will have someone to take over the shop after all."

Tigress watched Mantis for his answer. _He wouldn't really leave the Jade Palace for the noodle making? Doesn't he realize the opportunities that he's had? _

"Maybe. I can see why your dad is so into cooking. It's great for relaxation," Mantis agreed. Tigress froze.

_He's willing to throw away everything he's worked for? Every day of training? _"Tigress, are you alright?" Po asked.

She snapped out of it. "I'm fine. But you should go back to sleep if you want to get better soon."

"Yeah, I am a bit—" Po fell asleep and started snoring loudly. Both Mantis and Tigress left the room so their friend could sleep.

"Mantis." He turned around. "I'm not coming to training tomorrow. You can tell Mr. Ping that I quit. You're right. You deserve your moment in the sun. So I won't take the chance of ruining it by upstaging you or making you look bad. Good luck."

She headed to her room. "Tigress." She stopped. "Thanks. You know, for letting me have the spotlight this time. And I guess I should meet this Dongwa guy before I judge him. Good night."


	9. Shifu's Disappointment

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 9- Shifu's Disappointment

"I don't understand why Tigress is just quitting like this. It's just not like her," Viper said uneasily.

"Well she wasn't exactly good. This is going to sound terrible, but… we're probably better off without her. I mean, if we want to win, that is," Crane said.

"And we're not really trying to win for ourselves. We're doing it for Mr. Ping. This does mean a lot to him," Monkey added.

Mantis didn't say anything. He had been completely silent since his argument with Tigress. _Maybe I was a bit hard on her. I mean, she's trying her best. But this is really important to me too. And what's done is done. _

"I wonder how Mr. Ping is going to react. We all promised to help," Crane said.

"Yeah. Now he's short one assistant."

"Look, we can't force Tigress to come down if she doesn't want to. Not unless you want to be kicked down the stairs. It's better all around this way, so let's just drop it," Mantis snapped. The rest of the group exchanged glances, but didn't argue. They completed the rest of the trip in silence, and entered the noodle shop solemnly and silently.

"Good morning, students!" Mr. Ping chorused cheerfully. He immediately noticed their grim attitudes. "Come now, it may be early, but that's no reason to be unhappy! Service with a smile, remember?"

Viper sighed. "Mr. Ping, there's something that we have to tell you. It's about Tigress—she quit the contest." Mr. Ping's happy-go-lucky demeanor dropped.

"W-what?"

"We don't know why. She didn't come out of her room this morning and just yelled at us from inside that she wasn't going and to leave or we'd be late," she explained further.

"This is unacceptable! I need her here for the contest!" he yelled.

"Mr. Ping, I don't think we _really_ need her. The rest of us will step up our game and make up for the difference," Mantis persuaded.

"No, you don't understand! She is exactly what we needed! You didn't see her abilities!"

"Abilities? Mr. Ping, in all respect to you and to her, she stunk!" Monkey exclaimed.

"You didn't see her with the little girl! That was a perfect bowl of noodles, I could tell! I have to get her back into the competition and down here for training!" He ran out of the shop, yelling Tigress' name.

Back up at the Jade Palace, Master Shifu was strolling along the grounds. It had been an extremely peaceful and quiet week. He wasn't used to this type of silence, so every so often he expected to hear yells and cracking wood from the training hall, or the sound of a crash from the kitchen from Po rummaging around. But it was an appreciated silence. He needed a vacation badly.

"HI-YAH!"

He jumped and looked around. It was just him. _The Five are at Mr. Ping's to prepare for their contest, and Po is in bed. It's just you, Shifu, you're just not used to this yet. _

A loud crack and crash sounded. The doors to the training hall flew open and a large chunk of spike-covered wood came out and rolled to Shifu's feet. He looked down at the wood for a moment before running into the training hall.

Tigress was there, facing the Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion. She saw him and leapt off the course.

"Good morning, Master," she said breathlessly, bowing and smiling.

"Tigress… you're here," he said slowly.

"Of course, Master. Where else would I be?"

"Down in the village with Mr. Ping and the others, preparing for the contest." Tigress' smile faded.

"Oh…" _So much for pretending nothing's wrong. _"I… I don't think I'm going to compete, Master. I'm not much of a noodle-maker," she said quietly.

"I see. So you're quitting." That stung at Tigress' heart. She never liked admitting defeat, but to have it blatantly pointed out by her master hurt a lot more.

"Well, yes."

"Because you're not good at it."

Tigress paused. "I suppose so." Shifu sighed.

"I thought I taught you better than that, Tigress."

"What am I supposed to do, Master? I can't cook, and there's nothing I can do about that!"

"There is something you can do about that! You can go back and try again. It may not be perfect, but it will be something!" Tigress sighed and sat down.

"Master, I'm sorry. But I can't. You should see others. And Mantis—he's fantastic. And I'm just not. I… I don't want to embarrass myself."

Shifu took her face in his hands and made her look at him. "Listen to me. You may be saving yourself from embarrassment by quitting, but by giving up because you don't succeed immediately takes away your honor. You've only been doing this for four days, you need to give it time. You have such great honor, Tigress. Don't lose it because of foolish pride."

Tigress looked down at the floor as she stood back up. "I don't want to lose my honor. But I doubt that anyone would want me helping anyway. To be honest, Master, I've only been making noodles for one and a half days, and that was the first day of training and half of the second. The rest of the time I was either washing dishes or running errands at the market. I'm just not good enough," she said timidly.

"But you are good enough. There's a reason why I've trained you and the Five to the very limits of your abilities. Because I know what kind of raw power and determination you have. You're strong, Tigress; don't belittle yourself," he pleaded.

She looked back at the obstacle course, and then into her Master's eyes. "But sometimes power and determination just isn't enough. I'm sorry." She walked past him.

"I'm disappointed in you." She stopped and turned around. "I've always been proud, and forgiven you for your mistakes. But this is the first time I can say I was truly disappointed," he said hollowly.

Tigress felt her heart rip in half. _I don't want to disappoint him… but I can't do this. Mantis will have his moment and I'll watch and be happy for him. Whatever the price may be. _She continued out of the training hall.

_Just remember, you're doing this for a friend. Even if it does mean that Mantis leaves the Jade Palace for the noodle-making business. If it makes him happy and brings him peace, then I should support him as a friend he's known since childhood. _

But deep inside, she was disappointed in herself, and her conscious was screaming to march down to that shop and show Mantis how it was done, and to regain her honor and Shifu's approval before it was too late. But she ignored it and headed down the plethora of stairs to the village.

_Hopefully Dongwa will understand. Just because I'm giving up on cooking doesn't mean that I'm going to lose all my honor. But Mr. Ping… he'll do fine, he has Mantis, after all._

"Miss Tigress!" Mr. Ping was running toward her, a smile on his bill. "Oh, I'm so glad I finally found you! We're you heading down to my shop?" he asked hopefully.

She took a deep breath. "No, Mr. Ping, I wasn't. I was actually going to visit a friend of mine. But truly, I am sorry for quitting on such short notice."

She kept walking down the stairs. Mr. Ping followed. "Miss Tigress, please, I'm begging you to reconsider. I need you in the competition."

"Mr. Ping, really, I think you'll be better off without me. I'm not a very good cook and I'll probably just stint your chances of winning. It's better this way," she insisted.

"But what about with that little girl?" She stopped and looked at him.

"What?"

"That little rabbit girl! You made her a bowl of noodles while you were talking to her, and you did everything perfectly! I could tell," he said softly.

She paused, looking straight ahead. "If you concentrate on something that you're passionate about, such as your kung fu training, and that has nothing to do with cooking, you're excellent at it! So during the competition, if you talk to someone about kung fu at all times, then you'll be a success!" he explained excitedly.

She continued to look into the distance. _Maybe I'm not as terrible as I think. But still, I promised Mantis that I would let him do this. _

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ping, but I can't. You still have the rest of the Five, and I'm sure you'll be great at the contest. I'll come down to see you and the other compete, but that's the best I can offer you." And she resumed walking.

She felt terrible. _In the past few minutes I've disappointed Master Shifu and Mr. Ping. Mantis better be damn happy after this because he'll have to grovel at my feet for the rest of his life to get my forgiveness. _

She finally reached the inn and asked the inn keeper for Mrs. Ding. "Her room's up the stairs and to the right, at the end of the hall. But I wouldn't get your hopes up. None of my housekeeping staff has been able to get in there all week. Whenever they try, she always screams at them that they're working for Mr. Ping and trying to steal her secrets. Personally, I've known Ping for years, and he never struck me as a guy who would do something like that. Crazy old woman."

She snickered as she headed up the stairs. The description of her behavior sounded exactly as Mr. Ping and Dongwa had told her.

She knocked on the door. A few moments later, Dongwa answered it. "Tigress! What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised.

She whispered, "I need to talk to you." A thick smell of vegetables broth came out of the room. "Working?" she asked.

He nodded and half smiled. "Son, who's there?" Mrs. Ding appeared. Tigress had to hold in her giggles. Mrs. Ding only went up to a little above Dongwa's knees, and she was clutching a wooden spoon, squinting up at her.

"I knew it! I knew those others were spies from Ping! She was behind the counter at his shop the day I went there!" she screeched, pointing the spoon at Tigress.

"It's alright, Mom, Tigress is a friend of mine. She wouldn't spy on us," Dongwa defended.

"Besides, Mrs. Ding, I'm not going to be in the contest anymore. I guess I'm just not cut out for the noodle business," Tigress said.

Dongwa looked shocked, but Mrs. Ding looked cheerful and happy. "Oh, then please, come in! I'm always pleased to meet one of Dongwa's friends."

Tigress tried to smile as she entered the room, but overheard Mrs. Ding whisper to Dongwa, "She's a keeper, honey! It's about time you had a girlfriend!"

Tigress' cheeks went crimson. Dongwa laughed uneasily. "Mom, she's not my girlfriend, she's just a friend."

"Not a girlfriend yet," Mrs. Ding said devilishly. Dongwa looked up at Tigress with apologetic and mortified eyes. She smiled warmly and nodded.

"Since when are you not in the contest? I thought you were competing with the rest of the Five," he asked.

"She's better off if you ask me. It's best to stick with what your talented at and leave the noodles to the professionals. Kung fu masters in the Noodle-Off. Who ever heard of such a thing!" Mrs. Ding criticized.

"Mom!"

"No, she's right. I guess I really was born to be _Master_ Tigress and not Chef Tigress," Tigress insisted.

"To be honest, it sounds better the way it is. It fits your dignity," he said.

Tigress blushed again, and Mrs. Ding smiled knowingly.

"Actually, Dongwa, I was really hoping to talk to you alone. It's kind of important."

"Sure. If I can be released from prison early today," he said, glaring at his mother.

"Preparation and training takes complete dedication, son. I'm sure your 'friend' can tell you that," Mrs. Ding countered, chopping orange slices.

"Are those for noodles, Mrs. Ding? I've never heard of anyone putting oranges into noodles, and I'm pretty sure that I never will after today," Tigress asked.

"It's a new recipe I've been developing. Don't tell anyone this, promise?" Tigress nodded. "I'm trying a new bowl of dessert noodles. It may sound crazy now, but no one's ever tried it before!" she exclaimed.

Tigress merely nodded as she and Dongwa exchanged a glance. "So may I go, Mom?" he asked.

"Alright, but don't be gone too long. We'll have to make up for the lost time."

Dongwa said as he rushed Tigress out of the room, "Sure thing Mom, be back in a little while." As soon as the door was closed, Dongwa let go of a breath.

He took Tigress' hands and kissed them. "You are my savior."

She giggled and took her hands back. "So what's up? Why are you quitting the contest?" he asked.

She cringed. "Please don't use that word."

"What word?"

"Quitting. You don't even want to know how many times I've heard that today," she answered nauseously.

"Sorry. What happened? Do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, but not in here. Can we go somewhere private? This is sort of personal," she requested.

"Sure."

They left the inn and he led her to the outskirts of the village and out of the village gates. After walking for a few more minutes, he stopped by a large ginkgo tree and sat down, offering the spot next to him for her.

She sat down and stared at the leaves that were littering the ground. "So what's wrong? Are you alright?" he asked. She sighed.

"I've basically disappointed all my elders in the past hour. Master Shifu thinks that I'm behaving dishonorably because I'm quitting without giving myself a chance, and Mr. Ping thinks that I'm just abandoning him. And worst of all, I feel completely horrible about it, even though I'm doing it for someone else's benefit," she told him.

"Whose?" he asked. She smiled a little. _At least he didn't say, "Whose? Yours?" _

"Master Mantis's. You should see him, Dongwa, he's an amazing cook. His noodles taste great, his presentation is amazing, and he loves cooking. And since I get a lot of praise from my kung fu, I felt that he should be able to be proud of himself for something that he's talented at."

"Did you say that to Master Shifu or Mr. Ping?"

"Well, no, I didn't."

"Why not? I'm sure that they would have understood," Dongwa said.

"The conversation just didn't go that way," she insisted.

"So make it go that way. Yell, 'I'm doing this for Master Mantis! And I'm proud to help out a friend, so don't you dare judge me!' It doesn't have to flow a certain way for something to be said," he told her.

She laughed. "I can't exactly take that tone with Master Shifu. And besides, I just call him Mantis, I don't call all of the Five 'Masters'," she explained.

"But still. You have to stand up for yourself. And this may not mean much coming from an orphaned noodle maker, but I think it's very honorable that you're helping him." Tigress locked eyes with him.

"Thank you. Hearing that from you—it means a lot to me." She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. He was stiff for a few seconds, but then loosened and hugged her back.

"Anything for you, Cinderella. Anything for you."

Tigress pulled back and stood up, pulling Dongwa to his feet as well. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" he asked, following obediently as she pulled on his paw.

"You wanted to visit Po, right? Well now's a perfect time since you were let out of your jail cell. But first, I want you to meet my parents."


	10. Enter Stage Right: Tigress' Family

Year of the Goose

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 10- Enter Stage Right: Tigress' Family

"Hold on for a minute, Tigress! I can't meet your parents! They'll get the wrong idea, like we're together or something! And besides, I have to get back to my parent before I'm locked in a tower for the rest of my life. Do a guy a favor!" This had been Dongwa's argument the entire way to Tigress' parents' house. And Tigress hadn't listened to any of it.

This was her defense: "Well, then, honey bun, I guess we'll just have to explain to them that we're just friends. And besides, if your mother locks you in a tower, I can call you Rapunzel. Relax, this isn't going to kill you. I may be a kung fu master, but my parents aren't."

Tigress looked fondly at the front door to her parents' house. This was the house she was born in, and had grown in until she was brought to the Jade Palace.

She knocked on the door. Dongwa quickly smoothed his shirt and ran his claws through his fur, trying to clean himself up from dragging his feet in the dust and dirt. The door opened and an older tigress was there, looking surprised and happy.

"Tigress! We weren't expecting you, dear," she said happily, hugging her daughter.

"Hello, Mama. Sorry if I caught you at a bad time, I wasn't planning on coming today," Tigress greeted.

"Well you know that we're always overjoyed to see you. And who's this?" Tigress' mother eyed Dongwa with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"This is Dongwa, Mama. He's an old friend of Po's. He and his mother are here for the noodle contest."

"It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am," Dongwa said, shaking her hand.

"Please, don't be so formal. Call me Mingxia." Dongwa nodded, even though he didn't feel completely comfortable calling someone who was his elder by their first name. "Please, come in, I'll make some tea. Tigress' father, Shan, is still at work, but he'll be home soon if you want to meet him."

Tigress smiled encouragingly as she gently pushed him into the house first. Mingxia pulled her daughter aside and whispered, "He's very handsome, Tigress."

"Mama!" Tigress exclaimed.

"What? You're training so often, you never have time for boys. I'm just happy that you're getting interested."

"Dongwa and I are just friends, Mama. Nothing more," Tigress insisted.

"So you say now. But if you have no interest in him, why is he here?" Mingxia asked. Tigress paused and glanced at Dongwa.

_We're just friends. Friends who are a boy and a girl. And what's wrong with that? Mama never commented on me being friends with Crane, Monkey, Mantis, and Po. So what's the difference? Dongwa is a tiger, but that shouldn't matter! Maybe he is handsome, but he might have a girlfriend at home that he hasn't told me about. Mr. Ping said he never had time for girls, but the last time Mr. Ping saw him was when Dongwa was a child. _

She sighed. "I'll admit Dongwa is handsome, Mama, but he and I are strictly friends and not lovers or crushes or boyfriend and girlfriend. Just friends," Tigress persisted.

"Alright, Tigress, you've made your point. But be warned: love has a way of sneaking up on you." Tigress shook her head as she followed her mother into the house.

Dongwa tried to smile, but he was still feeling nervous to be in Tigress' parents' house.

_Isn't this a little early? I mean, usually a girl brings her boyfriend to meet her parents. Tigress and I are just friends. __But… does she think of me in that way? _

_Have I been forward without knowing it? I told her about my parents and about the girl in the orphanage and the lullaby, and I haven't even told Mom about that. And I took her up to the ledge, and I call her Cinderella and I kiss her hands… but that doesn't mean anything, does it? _

_It's not that I wouldn't want her to be interested. That would be an honor, to be pursued by Master Tigress of the Furious Five. But she's more than that. She's kind and witty and smart and strong, and beautiful. And I'm just an orphan who makes noodles for a living, and doesn't even like doing it. What could she possibly see in me? _

_Not that I think of her in that way._

He shook his head, sending all the thoughts akimbo. "Would you like some tea, Dongwa?" Mingxia asked, putting leaves into the pot of boiling water to seep.

"Yes, thank you, ma'am." A door clanked shut.

"Mom? I'm home!"

Another tigress entered, this one smaller than Tigress and Mingxia. "Is it three o'clock already?" Mingxia asked, looking out the window at the sun.

"Past, Mom. It takes me a few minutes to get home from—" The little tigress stopped short when she laid her eyes on Dongwa.

"Um… hi…" Dongwa said uncertainly.

"Hi," Little tigress said, putting her shoulder bag on the floor near the stove.

"How are you?" Dongwa asked, even more uncomfortably. The little tigress looked to Mingxia with a questioning look. Mingxia took her attention from the teapot and laid her paws on little tigress' shoulders.

"Clover, this is Dongwa. He's a friend of Tigress'," Mingxia explained.

"This is my little sister, Clover," Tigress added.

Clover's eyes widened. "Tigress has a boyfriend before me? You've got to be kidding me." Tigress smacked her forehead with her palm and shook her head.

Mingxia chuckled. "Actually, she and I are just friends," Dongwa said.

"Really? Well if you're interested, I'm available," Clover said, smirking.

"CLOVER!" Tigress scolded, glaring harshly.

"What? In case you've gone blind, he's gorgeous," Clover commented. Dongwa felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment.

"You could try having crushes on guys your own age," Tigress suggested.

"Guys my age aren't on my level of maturity yet. How am I to have an intelligent conversation with them when they barely use their brains?" Clover asked.

"You see, Clover, this is why I have friends who are males and you don't. I act my age," Tigress said.

"I can't help it if I'm more developed in the mind than the other _children_ who call themselves fourteen-year-olds, when they're actually five on the inside," Clover whined.

"Yeah, most guys are like that until they hit seventeen. I was an obnoxious jerk until I turned fifteen and realized that girls don't like it when you show them a dead frog. I thought it was cool, but I guess I'm just insane," Dongwa said. Tigress and Clover both giggled, and Mingxia smiled.

"Finally someone who understands me! I'm free after I finish my homework," Clover offered, lowering her eyelids and leaning closer to Dongwa from across the table.

"Um, thank you, but I have to work too. In fact, my mother is probably plotting my doom as we speak for being out for so long," Dongwa said, remembering how he was supposed to be getting ready for the contest.

"What work do you do?" Mingxia asked, pouring tea and putting a plate of small cakes on the table.

"I work with my food. My mother owns a noodle shop and I help run the place," Dongwa explained.

"Oh, so you can cook. Very interesting," Clover said, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Clover, go do your homework," Tigress growled.

"Who's going to make me?"

"GO!" Tigress demanded, standing up and slamming one of her hands down on the table. Clover stuck her tongue out at Tigress before picking up her bag and flouncing out of the room.

Tigress sunk back down and hid her face in her hands. "I am so sorry, Dongwa. She always has crushes on someone who's at least five years older than she is. Her last victim was Po. She stalked him for at least two weeks before he sat her down and told her there was too much of an age difference between them and they could never be together. Then she ran home and cried for two hours straight about how she would never love again. You see how long that lasted," Tigress explained. Dongwa chuckled.

"It's alright, Tigress. She'll lose interest in older guys once she realizes that they're secretly even more obnoxious than teenage guys." They both laughed.

Mingxia smiled and slipped out of the room, knowing fully that her daughter had forgotten about her existence. "Po really did feel bad about it, though. He really is a sweet guy," Tigress said softly, tracing the rim of her teacup with a finger. Dongwa raised an eyebrow.

_What's with her going all dreamy on me? Is there something between her and Po? I wouldn't be surprised. He is the Dragon Warrior now. He's probably getting bags of fan mail from teenage girls all over China asking him out and to marry him and stuff. But he has to turn them all down because he's madly in love with the beautiful, young Master Tigress, who in turn loves him just as much. I don't blame her. She deserves someone like him. _

"Are you alright, Dongwa?" Tigress asked. Dongwa snapped out of it and looked her in the eye.

"Huh?"

She giggled. "So… how long have you and Po known each other?" Dongwa asked casually.

"Mingxia, Clover! You'll never guess who I ran into—" A tall South China tiger came into the kitchen and immediately his eyes locked on Dongwa. Tigress stood up.

"Hi, Papa."

Immediately the tiger's eyes softened and he smiled. He strode across the kitchen and hugged his daughter. "Well isn't this a surprise. I come home after a boring, normal day at work and I find Master Tigress in my kitchen." Tigress laughed and grinned at her father. "Who's your… friend?" Shan asked, looking Dongwa up and down again.

Tigress said, "Papa, this is Dongwa. He's here for the competition." Dongwa stood up and shook Shan's hand.

"It's an honor to meet you sir."

"Sir? You make me feel like an old man. Call me Shan."

"Yes, sir. I mean, Shan! Forgive me," Dongwa stuttered.

Shan laughed and clapped Dongwa on the back. "You're alright, boy. Tigress, have you seen your mother? I need to discuss something with her."

"She's upstairs, I believe," Tigress answered.

"Thank you. It was nice meeting your… friend. I trust that I can leave you two down here alone?" he asked.

"Papa!"

"To be completely honest, sir, your daughter and I are just friends. And I really should be going, my mother will be organizing an angry mob to hunt me down. I guess I'll have to visit Po tomorrow, Master Tigress," Dongwa said. He took her hand and gently kissed it, then showed himself out of the house.

"Was it something I said?" Shan asked Tigress.


	11. Sneaky, Sneaky!

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 11- Sneaky, Sneaky!

Mrs. Ding knocked on the door. After waiting patiently for a few moments, a young tigress answered the door. "Yes?" she asked plainly, leaning against the doorframe.

"Hello. Is this the home of Shan and Mingxia?" Mrs. Ding asked.

"It is."

"Oh, good, then I have the right place! You must be Clover."

"How did you know that?" Clover asked suspiciously, standing upright and narrowing her eyes.

"My son told me all about you. I'm Mrs. Ding, Dongwa's mother," she explained.

"Dongwa? He talks about me?" Clover asked hopefully. "Oh, yes! He told me that this was the house where Master Tigress' parents lived, so I'd thought I'd drop by for a visit," Mrs. Ding explained.

The light in Clover's eyes dimmed significantly. "Tigress isn't here. If you want to see her, you'll have to look at One Jade Palace road. It's a straight shot up the huge mountain," Clover said dryly, pointing towards the Jade Palace.

"Actually, I'm here to see your mother. Is she home?" Clover sighed and started inside, Mrs. Ding right behind her.

"MOM! THERE'S SOMEONE HERE TO SEE YOU!"

Mingxia padded down the staircase. "Hello. Can I help you with something?" she asked sweetly. "Yes, I believe you can. My name is Mrs. Ding, and I'm Dongwa's mother."

Mingxia's eyes brightened. "Really? Well it's an honor to meet you. Tigress brought Dongwa over only yesterday. He really is a charming young man."

"Well thank you. If I only taught him two things in his life, they were to be courteous to others at all times and how to make noodles," Mrs. Ding said happily.

"Yes, he did mention that you two were entering the contest. Good luck, you'll have a hard competition up against the local noodle shop owner, Mr. Ping. Have you two met?" Mingxia asked.

Mrs. Ding frowned. "Yes, we're acquainted. But anyway, I wanted to ask you a few questions about Master Tigress, if you don't mind."

"I'll try the best I can."

They went into the parlor and sat down on two chairs. "Your daughter has been training up at the Jade Palace since her youth, correct?" Mrs. Ding asked. Mingxia smiled proudly.

"Since she was five years old. It was a bit difficult the first few years. She got so homesick that Master Shifu nearly put her out for trying to sneak here after dark."

"I can only imagine. I could never send Dongwa into someone else's care. I barely let him two feet out of my sight until he was ten! Children can be so worrisome," Mrs. Ding said thoughtfully.

Mingxia nodded. "Shan, my husband, took it the hardest. Sometimes he would call for her and I'd have to remind him that she wouldn't answer unless he went up to the Jade Palace," she told.

"Well, fathers are always thinking first about their daughters," Mrs. Ding agreed.

"What about Dongwa? Are he and his father very close?"

Mrs. Ding paused and looked to the floor. "Dongwa doesn't have a father. I adopted him when he was only a toddler, no older than three. And I never married, so it's just been me and him for most of our lives," she said quietly.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know that he was adopted," Mingxia apologized.

"Well, it happens to some children. If I had room for more, I would adopt as many orphans as I could and give them all a second chance. Teach them my trade. Just as I did with Dongwa."

"He's very fortunate."

She nodded. "When I went to the orphanage that he was living in, I looked at him and smiled, and he smiled right back and held out his arms to me. And from the moment I picked him up, I knew it was destiny."

Mingxia smiled. "Tigress really seems to like him." Mrs. Ding had a twinkle in her eye.

"Dongwa as well. He speaks of nearly nothing else most of the day." Both mothers glanced at each other for a moment.

"I'm going to cut directly to the chase, Mingxia. Your daughter is the first female that Dongwa has ever taken a second glance at. For a while I questioned his sexuality preferences. But from the minute he introduced me to Master Tigress, I could feel a connection," Mrs. Ding explained. Mingxia nodded.

"Tigress has never had much time for boys. She's always so busy with her training. And most men are afraid of her, to be completely honest. And I don't blame them. I've seen her fighting in tournaments and practicing. She can be very intimidating. I've tried to set her up with a few blind dates, but she absolutely refused to even consider it. Which is why I was a little surprised when she brought Dongwa to meet us. She usually keeps things like this very quiet, but she really has taken a shine to your son," she said.

"They both claim they're just friends," Mrs. Ding said. They exchanged another glance, then burst out laughing. "Just friends my eye!" Mrs. Ding exclaimed happily.

After their laughter died down, Mingxia asked, "So what are you saying?"

"This may sound a little crazy, but hear me out. Both of our children have very sorry love lives that need much improvement. And both of our children have a mutual interest in each other," Mrs. Ding started.

"Yes…"

"So, what I believe they need is a slight push in the right direction. Or should I say, a slight push into each other's direction. They'd make a handsome couple."

Mingxia frowned. "You're saying that I try and force my daughter closer to your son?" There was a pause. Mingxia's frown turned to a smirk. "I like the way you think, Mrs. Ding. This may be crazy enough to work. But what did you have in mind? Tigress isn't fooled easily."

"No, I wouldn't wager so. But, if we're careful we might just be able to pull it off. Here's the plan…" And the two women lowered their voices to whispers, plotting how to ignite the spark of love.


	12. To Go To The Festival

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 12- To Go To The Festival

The booths were set up, the live musical performances were chosen, and the decorations made the village seem brighter. Everyone was hyped up for the festival, which would end with the Championship Noodle-Off and the arrival of the Emperor. Instead of just the villagers attending, the Valley was flooded with people from all over China. Venders were selling everything imaginable. Noodle enthusiasts were betting on which team would win. And the savory perfume of broth floated through the air.

Mr. Ping's was flooded with people. "Wow, things are getting really busy," Viper said optimistically. Mr. Ping didn't look as happy. He was watching the people.

"What's wrong, Mr. Ping? Look at all these people!" Monkey exclaimed.

"I don't think I've ever seen the place this full. The crowd is spilling out into the street," Crane added.

"Yes… but something doesn't feel right," he said distantly.

Mantis hopped over to him. "Maybe it's because Po isn't here." Mr. Ping looked at the floor.

"He'd be here if he could," Monkey said.

"You don't understand! Noodle flu isn't dangerous because you could get a concussion from hitting your head off the ceiling! Po may never be able to go near a bowl of noodles ever again. He was my prodigy. And his mother… oh, it was her dearest wish to see him happy. She used to play with him in this very kitchen. I can still hear them sometimes. And now this!" He burst into sobs and covered his eyes.

Viper gently patted his back with her tail, and he crushed her in a hug. Crane and Mantis exchanged worried glances, and Monkey nodded at them. "Mr. Ping," Mantis said. Mr. Ping wiped his nose and let go of Viper. "If you want to skip out on the contest to go take care of Po, we understand. We could handle things down here."

Mr. Ping looked at his students. "Th-thank you. But I think Po would want me to be down here. I'll stay." The four smiled at him supportively. "But what are we doing sitting around? There's so little time before the competition begins! Let's get to work!"

They all cheered and rushed out of the shop and to their booth that was the first from the left from the judges' table. Mrs. Ding and Dongwa had been placed in the same spot, only to the right. When the two ducks locked eyes, Mrs. Ding narrowed hers and scowled.

"I don't like her," Mantis said angrily.

"Nevertheless, she is a worthy opponent, and we must wish her good luck." They all walked across the way and stopped in front of her booth.

"Hua."

"Ping," Mrs. Ding said coldly.

"Hey, Mr. Ping! I'm glad to see you again, it's been such a long time," Dongwa greeted cordially. Mr. Ping smiled and looked up at him.

"Well look at you! You have to be at least three times taller than when I last saw you."

Dongwa looked at Viper, Monkey, Mantis, and Crane. "And the rest of the Furious Five. It's an honor."

"Thank you," Viper said graciously, batting her eyelashes.

"What's with you?" Crane whispered as Mr. Ping and Dongwa continued the conversation without them.

"Look at him! If Tigress quit because she didn't want to compete against him for personal reasons, I don't blame her," Viper explained.

"He's alright looking—I suppose," Mantis said coldly.

"Oh, don't be sour just because he's our competition and Tigress likes him. I bet he's a great guy," Viper scolded.

"I'm sorry, I haven't seen Master Tigress yet. She hasn't caught Po's sickness, has she?" Dongwa asked worriedly.

"No. And thank goodness that she didn't. Po—he has Noodle Flu," Mr. Ping said fretfully. Both Dongwa and Mrs. Ding gasped.

"No way. There's no way that Po could have gotten Noodle Flu," Dongwa stammered.

Mr. Ping merely nodded. Mrs. Ding jumped down from behind the booth and over to Mr. Ping, taking his wings in hers. "I… I'm so sorry. If I had known… I wouldn't have made those comments earlier in the week. Forgive me." Dongwa's eyebrows raised and his eyes flitted between the two geese.

Mr. Ping smiled. "It's alright. How were you to know? But there's not much that we can do. We'll just have to wait it out and pray that he isn't affected."

And for the first time since she had entered the Valley of Peace, Mrs. Ding cracked a honest-to-goodness, no strings attached, and completely ulterior motive-free smile.

Dongwa grinned. "What are you smiling about?" Mantis whispered, hopping up on his shoulder.

"My mom… I haven't seen her smile like that in ages. Not since I was in my teens, maybe longer." The members of the Five present looked to Mrs. Ding sympathetically, and Mantis felt a pang of guilt in his heart for saying all the bad things about her that he did.

Then a loud voice called out, "THE COMPETITION WILL START IN HALF AN HOUR! ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST GO TO THEIR BOOTHS IMMEDIATELY FOR CHECK-IN!"

Mrs. Ding quickly took her wings back and hopped back up behind the counter. "Good luck, Ping. May the best noodle-maker win." Mr. Ping nodded.

"Good luck to you too." And he herded his students back to their booth. Mantis hopped off Dongwa's shoulder.

"Good luck."

Dongwa smiled, "Likewise. It's going to be a hard competition, competing against the greatest warriors in all of China." Mantis smirked.

"Don't let it get to you too much."

And he hopped back to his friends. Dongwa started setting out fresh vegetables in a bowl and laid out the knives he was going to have to use.

"So, do you think you have a chance in this contest? With all the competition?" someone asked.

Still setting up, he replied, "Of course. I've been working my butt off to—Tigress!"

He jumped and a knife flew up in the air, embedding its point into the counter. "You might have a little bit of trouble if you do that," she teased, holding back her giggles. He looked her up and down.

She had on a dress that was the purple color of delicate orchids, and careful silver embroidery that formed swirls and waves meant to look like the morning mist. The fabric covered down to her knees and the sleeves stopped at her bicep. She gave off an aura of grace, and she was actually glowing a little.

"You… you look… really sexy. Uh, I mean, you look nice! Very beautiful," he stuttered, his cheeks burning. Tigress blushed as well.

"My mother said I should wear it. You don't think it's too ostentatious, do you?"

"No, no, not at all! It looks great on you. I've never seen you in a dress before. You look lovely." He raised her hand and kissed it. Someone giggled.

Tigress turned her head and saw Viper, who had her tail over her mouth and was trying to hold in another. The boys, on the other hand, were "subtly" glaring at Dongwa.

"My friends," Tigress said in an embarrassed tone.

"I've already met them. They're very nice. A lot less intimidating than I thought they would be," Dongwa said.

"Well, look at you, dear," Mrs. Ding said, "You clean up very nicely!"

"Mom!"

"What? You said yourself that you think she's pretty, didn't you?" Mrs. Ding asked. The mischievous gleam had returned to her eyes.

"Yeah, but Mom, that's not exactly the most respectful way to say it."

"It's alright. I'd better go talk to my friends before the contest starts. I'll see you later," Tigress said.

"Yes, you will. If you want to, that is," he said.

"Good luck."

He watched her leave. "What the hell was that?" he whispered to himself.

"You like her, son," Mrs. Ding said knowingly.

"We're just friends, Mom," Dongwa reminded her.

"Oh, but you like her more than that, I can tell. And who could blame you? Look at her! Pretty face, strong will, loyalty, dedication. And a member of the Furious Five! What man wouldn't fall for her?"

Dongwa shook his head. "We're just friends. And that's all we'll ever be."

"What makes you say that?"

He refused to look at his mother in the face. "Because girls like her don't go out with guys like me, Mom. You're right about all that stuff—she's strong, and smart, and brave. She's the most amazing girl that I've ever met. And I'm an orphan who's making noodles for a living. What would she possibly ever see in me?"

Mrs. Ding smiled as she sharpened a knife against a flat rock. "Maybe it's your charm, or your respect for others, or your mind. You've never had a girlfriend before, son, and I think that's partially my fault. I've always kept you working; you've never had the time to find anyone. But when a girl falls right into your lap, you don't just put her aside! You have to grab her and hold her tight before she finds someone else! And for someone like Master Tigress, that wouldn't be too difficult."

Dongwa looked at Tigress. She was talking and laughing with her friends.

_She's off-limits. Her training is important to her and that probably take up a lot of her time, and besides, after the Noodle-Off we'll be gone and I'll never see her again. She's perfect, and an incredible woman, but we could never be. The world just doesn't work like that. _

"But Tigress, he's gorgeous! I mean, look at him!"

"As gorgeous as he may be, we're just friends," she persisted.

Viper rolled her eyes. "Oh, please! You like him! And I'd bet every one of the Thousand Scrolls and the Dragon Scroll that he likes you too."

"What's wrong with them just being friends?" Crane asked.

"Look at us. We're just your friends and we're males," Monkey added.

"And besides, he's not good enough for her," Mantis said bitterly.

"Are you guys kidding me? He's perfect for her! Didn't you see how flustered he got when he first saw you in that dress?" Viper asked.

"Half the village is going to be like that because Tigress hardly ever wears a dress," Crane noted. Viper shook her head.

"You're all impossible. Tigress, if you don't ask him out by the end of the night, I'm going to ask him out. I know a cute guy when I see one. You have fair warning." She slithered back into the confines of the booth and began discussing something with Mr. Ping.

"You—you don't think she would actually do that, do you?" she asked the boys nervously.

They groaned. "Tigress, come on! What happened to the you that kicked that pig from over the counter and gave him a bloody nose?" Crane asked.

"Look, we're just trying to make sure that you don't get hurt," Mantis explained.

"I can take care of myself in that part of the matter, thank you! And besides, Dongwa is very sweet and funny and cute!" Tigress yelled.

"If you don't keep your voice down, then he'll hear you, and since you're so shy all of a sudden when he's around, you probably don't want that," Monkey warned.

Tigress glanced back at Dongwa, who was calmly talking to—Clover. _Why am I not surprised? _

"Isn't that your little sister? Geez, this guy gets all the action," Mantis said.

"Shut up! It's just one of her stupid little kid crushes," Tigress growled.

"You mean she doesn't like Po anymore?" Crane asked.

"You know, Tigress," Viper said, coming back over, "I've never seen you get so riled up about your sister liking one of your friends." Tigress scowled as she watched Clover.

She was doing what she normally did when she had a crush on an older man. She was batting her eyelashes, giggling like a moron, and "accidentally" brushing her hand over his. _That sneaky, conniving little girl. _

Tigress crossed back over to Mrs. Ding's booth. "Clover, Mama is looking for you. Don't keep her waiting," Tigress said.

"Actually, she sent me to find you. She wanted to know if you needed your other dress any time soon. She thinks she can get the blood out of it," Clover said casually.

"What blood?" Tigress asked. Clover smirked.

"You know, the blood in certain _areas_. You don't have to be embarrassed about your 'time of the month'. It happens to all girls."

Tigress' eyes went wide and she blushed crimson. "Clover, I just realized that I need a few scallions for the soup. Do you mind going and seeing if you can find some?" Dongwa asked.

"Sure. I'll be back soon." Tigress nearly fainted from embarrassment as her sister walked off, subtly swinging her hips. A heavy, awkward pause sprouted between the two tigers.

"Dongwa—I swear I don't know what she's talking about!" Tigress insisted, completely mortified.

"Don't worry, I understand. Little sisters are like that sometimes. It's alright," Dongwa alleviated.

Tigress' chest rose and fell rapidly. "I have to go." She took off and wove through the crowd, needing to be as far away from Dongwa as she possibly could. She finally stopped and hid in an alley.

"I cannot believe I just had to go through that," she muttered, sinking to the ground. Tigress hid her face in her hands. _He'll probably never want to have anything more to do with me._

"Tigress?"

She peeked through her fingers. Mingxia was standing in front of her, smiling sympathetically. She sat down next to her daughter and Tigress threw her arms around her, crying softly. "Mama, I'll never be able to look Dongwa in the face again."

"Oh, Tigress, don't say that. What Clover did was wrong, and she'll be punished for it. But just because you were embarrassed once doesn't mean that you and Dongwa can't still be friends," Mingxia soothed, gently stroking Tigress' back.

"But I don't want for us to be only friends anymore, Mama! I… I was really attracted to him. It just felt good just to be around him. And now it's all ruined!" Tigress cried, her shoulders shaking.

"It's not ruined yet, Tigress. Trust me, when your father and I were courting, I made a fool of myself almost every day. I thought, _why would he ever want to be with a klutz like me?_ So I decided to end it and get it over with. And right before I was about to break up with him, he got down on one knee and proposed. So even if you are embarrassed, it's okay. Dongwa will understand."

"Mama, I really liked him. A couple times there was this wave that came over me and I wanted to pounce on him and kiss him until his lips were black and blue. And when I would lay my head on his shoulder, I would want to wrap my arms around him and just stay that way forever. I don't know what's wrong with me," Tigress whispered.

Mingxia lifted Tigress' chin and looked into her daughter's eyes. "There's nothing wrong with you. You're in love, darling."

Tigress closed her eyes and rested her head in the crook of her mother's neck. _Love? Can I really be in love? I've always been so dedicated to kung fu, and… _

_I love him. I love Dongwa. I love him. I love him. _

"THE COMPETITION WILL START IN TEN MINUTES! PREPARE FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE EMPEROR OF CHINA!"

_But can I really face him after being humiliated by my fourteen-year-old sister and then running away when he said he understood? _

"Tigress, do you want to stay for the contest, or do you want me to take you home?" Mingxia asked. Tigress took a few deep breaths.

"I… I think I'll go. After all, I'm supposed to greet the emperor along with Master Shifu. It would be very rude of me to just not show up."

"I'm proud of you, darling."

Tigress and Mingxia shared one last hug before standing up and heading back through the crowd.

A/N: Finally, were getting up to the competition! This story is lasting a lot longer than I thought it would. And I am already brewing up a sequel for this. But if you think that's a terrible idea, then REVIEW and tell me so. In fact, review even if you think it's a good idea! REVIEWS ALL AROUND! WHOOOO! And by the way, can you find the reference in this chapter? Bet'cha can't! Holla!


	13. The Emperor

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 13- The Emperor

The sedan chair glittered in the sun, light reflecting off its gilded surfaces. A loud fanfare of trumpets sounded off. Everyone lined the edges of the streets and stood completely silent, the men taking off their hats to show respect and the young mothers shushing their children. People watched and bowed as the gilded sedan chair went by. The air was still and motionless. No one dared to breathe too loudly or cough or sneeze. They just watched the gold gild on the sedan chair glitter in the sun. Even when the procession stopped, the glow off of the gild lived on for a few moments, reflecting off Shifu's and Tigress' faces as they bowed.

Two gossamer curtains were pulled back. A fox stepped out, his gray and silver fur shining as brightly as his sedan chair, and highlighting the flecks of red.

"Your Majesty," Tigress and Shifu murmured at the same time. The fox chuckled, his laugh deep and friendly.

"Rise. I'll not have two of China's greatest warriors bow at my feet just because I'm emperor. If anything, I should be bowing at your feet for all your services to the country. I thank you."

Tigress and Shifu both stood up. "Master Tigress. I've heard many stories about your valor and your skill. However, they did not include your vast beauty. It is of the highest honor to be in your presence." Tigress blushed scarlet.

"Thank you, your Majesty."

"Master Shifu, it's always a pleasure."

Shifu just nodded. "The feeling is mutual, I assure you, Emperor Wang."

"Well, what are we all standing around for? There's a competition to be held! I declare that the World Championship Noodle-Off has officially begun!" There was a loud cheer, and everyone was back to milling around, talking and laughing together.

The men carrying the sedan chair waited, expecting for the Emperor to get back inside. "Not today, boys. Take the day off and enjoy the festival," he ordered. The men exchanged glances, but lowered the sedan chair to the ground and scampered off.

"Where are the rest of the Furious Five, and the Dragon Warrior? I was so looking forward to meeting them," Emperor Wang said.

"The other four members of the Five are in the contest themselves, with the Dragon Warrior's father. Sadly, the Dragon Warrior has fallen ill. He's regaining his strength, but was expressively forbidden by the doctor to come to the festival," Shifu explained.

"This is a pleasant surprise. This will truly be a Noodle-Off unlike all others. Master Tigress," the Emperor began.

"Yes, your Majesty?"

"Why are you not in the contest with your friends?" Tigress' heart dropped.

_Great. First I had to disappoint Master Shifu and Mr. Ping, now I have to disappoint the Emperor. Does karma want me dead for some reason? _"Cooking really isn't one of my strong points, your Majesty. Besides, they're more than capable of winning the competition without me. Master Mantis is quite talented, and he'll be difficult to defeat," Tigress said.

"I understand. I'm lucky that I'm good at being Emperor, or I'd have a very hard time getting by," Emperor Wang laughed. Tigress and Shifu laughed with him. _That wasn't too bad. At least someone sees it from my point of view, _Tigress thought.

They wandered through the festival, watching various performances and discussing matters of state and matters of kung fu.

"I was devastated when I heard the news of Grand Master Oogway's death. You have my deepest sympathies and condolences," Emperor Wang said sadly.

"Master Oogway will live forever in our hearts, and we shall never forget him. I believe that's what's truly important," Shifu agreed.

The Emperor doted endlessly on Tigress, complementing and praising her. She had a permanent blush on her cheeks. Not that she minded.

You must understand, Emperor Wang was a ladies man. His shiny fur and twinkling goldenrod eyes hinted at what a beautiful child he must have been. His voice was soft and comforting, and he probably had a wonderful singing voice. And he wasn't Emperor just because it was in his blood. He was very intelligent and wise.

Yes, basically every woman in China swooned over their ruler. The only thing that disappointed them was that he already had a wife, and he insisted that she was his one and only love. But that didn't stop Tigress' heart from beating at a more rapid pace whenever he smiled at her or directed a comment to her.

She was so taken with him that she didn't see Dongwa watching them out of the corner of his eyes. In fact, she pretty much forgot about Dongwa's existence all together.

Viper was also watching with a disapproving eye. _She'd better not blow this. Not now. _"Whoa! Viper, you nearly chopped off my wing!" Crane cried.

The snake looked down, seeing the knife a few millimeters from the white feathers. "Sorry. I wasn't paying attention to my aim," she apologized.

"You've got to keep your head in the game. This isn't just practice anymore—this is the real deal," Mantis warned.

"I know, but… look at Tigress and the Emperor." The two masters looked to the pair. Tigress was giggling politely at something Emperor Wang said, and he was looking at her softly with a small smile on his lips.

"What about them? They seem to be getting along pretty well. Which is good for Tigress, since it keeps her far from the jail at the Forbidden City," Crane said.

"No, that's not what I mean! It's the look he's giving her, the smile," Viper explained.

"He's the Emperor. He's trying to be nice," Mantis said.

"What are you implying, Viper?" Monkey asked.

Viper looked both ways and leaned in before whispering, "I think he… you know… is attracted to Tigress."

"Attracted?"

"As in a physical attraction! Come on, use your brain!" Viper reprimanded.

"Keep your voice down! Do you know what would happen to you if the Emperor or one of his attendants heard you?" Crane asked.

"Sorry, but it's so obvious! And look at Dongwa." They turned their eyes to the male tiger. He was viciously chopping a shiitake mushroom and muttering out of the corner of his mouth, glancing in the direction of the Emperor every few moments.

"He likes Tigress, and he's obviously jealous!" she concluded.

"Look, we'll sort this out later. Let's just focus on making soup. Please?" Mantis asked.

Viper nodded and picked up her knife, but kept sending nervous glances back at her friend. _Please, Tigress. Be careful of what you do. Everything is so delicate right now. Be careful, Tigress… be careful. _

A/N: Check out this pic of the Corsac fox, which is what Emperor Wang is: en.wikipedia .org /wiki/ CorsacFox  
Just take out the spaces and put in before the en.wikipedia.


	14. Judgement Time

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 14- Judgment Time

"ALL CONTESTANTS PLEASE STOP COOKING AND BRING A BOWL OF NOODLES TO THE JUDGES TABLE!" the announcer yelled. It got very quiet and only a few hushed whispers clung to the air, but that was all.

Mr. Ping's hands were shaking as he carried his bowl, but he managed not to spill one drop of broth. Mrs. Ding looked equally as nervous, and kept looking back at Dongwa, who gave her a reassuring smile and a nod every time.

"The Dragon Warrior's father is a goose? But I thought the Dragon Warrior was a panda," Emperor Wang said, confused beyond measure.

"We're not quite sure how it works ourselves, your Majesty," Tigress whispered.

He nodded, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. She flushed and looked at the ground.

Master Shifu frowned at the two. Even if he doesn't like to admit it, he had been around for many years, and had seen that look many times. It was mostly used by middle-aged men who were lusting after young girls. _If he comes near Tigress… but he's the emperor of China, you can't attack him! _

"I'm rather excited to see who wins this year. I'm only allowed one bowl of noodles all day, so it'd better be a good one. Who do you wager will win, Master Tigress?"

"Well, I hope that my friends do well. They've worked really hard," she said quietly, still looking at the ground.

A smile formed on the Emperor's lips.

One that Shifu did not like at all.

They had left him out of the conversation at least twenty minutes ago; it was like he didn't exist. But he didn't mind because he could observe without interruption.

"Come, Master Tigress, there's no need to hide your shining face from the world." Wang tilted her head up so that she was looking him in the eye. "Much better."

Shifu gritted his teeth. _That's it. Emperor or no emperor, if he so much as thinks about coming near Tigress, it will be his last act as ruler. _

Dongwa stared at Tigress and the Emperor. "It's like he's waving her in my face! Karma, I already know that Tigress is way too good for me, you don't need to rub it in!" he whispered harshly.

Mrs. Ding grimaced. She wanted her son and Master Tigress to be together, but this was getting a bit dangerous. _Love makes us do stupid things. If Dongwa were to argue against the Emperor about a girl, he could be killed! _

Mingxia and Shan were also watching intently. Shan felt a deep, dark reserve of anger coming up. "He's beginning to cross the line, Mingxia," he growled.

"Hush! You know the punishment of going against the Emperor. Tigress can handle this, she's very smart. And if she can't then Master Shifu can. There's a reason why we entrusted her with him since she was five years old," Mingxia scolded.

"That's my baby girl, Mingxia, and I'm not going to let some old windbag try and feel her up because she has a pretty face," he warned.

"Shan!"

"You see, did you see that? I told you he was attracted to her!" Viper whispered triumphantly.

"He's not being very subtle about it either, is he?" Monkey asked.

"So what are we going to do about it, he's the Emperor!" Crane argued.

"Shhh! Look, if he tries to make a move, we'll all strike at once. He's not getting any younger, he won't be able to take it," Mantis explained.

"That would mean the death sentence for all of us!"

"I know, but I hear Mount Fuji is lovely this time of year. We could go there. Tigress has been our friend since forever, we can't just let this happen to her."

The announcer ran forward into a large opening in the crowd. "THE RESULTS ARE IN! ALL CONTESTANTS PLEASE COME FORTH!" Slowly but surely they all filed into a line.

Tigress locked eyes with Dongwa, and she smiled dreamily. A switch inside her brain clicked back on, refreshing her memory of her feelings for him. He grinned back and discreetly waved to her. But the Emperor was watching them with a weary eye as well.

"AND THE WINNER IS…"

There was a good old-fashioned drum roll.

"… MR. PING, WITH THE HELP OF MANTIS, VIPER, CRANE, AND MONKEY OF THE FURIOUS FIVE!" There was a cheer, and Tigress grinned, her heart going at least 65 miles per hour.

Then she remembered the object of her affections. She caught Dongwa's eye again, and he shrugged and kept grinning at her.

Everyone who was originally from the Valley went completely nuts as the hometown winners approached Emperor Wang, bowing deeply. He smiled. "Four members of the Furious Five. Definitely not the contestants that I expected. But I suppose you never truly know until it happens don't you. Mr. Ping, I would like to congratulate you for your work. I hope I won't be disappointed."

"Of course not, your Highness. It's my greatest dream to be standing here and receiving this honor. The only way I could think of that could possibly make it better is if my son were here to share this moment with me," Mr. Ping said, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"Yes, I've been told about how your son became Dragon Warrior. You must be very proud," Emperor Wang said.

Mr. Ping nodded. Five medals were brought forth, made of gold with a bowl of steaming noodles and chopsticks imprinted on them. The Emperor placed one around each of their necks. "Congratulations to the winners, and to all who competed this year!" he exclaimed.

Yet another cheer, and people started swarming Mr. Ping and his assistants, lifting them up on their shoulders. Mantis smiled at Tigress and nodded. Tigress nodded back. _I knew it would be worth it. _

Mantis made another motion, pointing one of his claws into the crowd. Tigress followed it and saw Dongwa smiling broadly at Mr. Ping.

"If you'll please excuse me, your Majesty," she said quickly, not waiting for his answer before making her way through the crowd. She tapped Dongwa on the back, and he grinned at her.

"Hey."

"Hello." There was a comfortable pause.

"I'm sorry that you didn't win. I know how long you were kept in captivity to get this far," she said.

He shrugged. "It's alright. I had one hell of a time, anyway. And I'm glad Mr. Ping won. I just wish Po could see this."

"You still haven't seen him the entire time that you've been here, have you?" she asked.

"No. I guess I didn't have time to climb all those stairs." She laughed. "So what about you? You seemed to be having a lot of fun. Did you see me when I nearly cut off my thumb because I was staring at the back of your head?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I didn't. But I kind of wish I had."

"I understand. Being that close to the Emperor of China must be a little hard to ignore." Tigress looked off into the crowd for a moment, then turned her gaze back to him.

"Dongwa?"

"Yeah?"

"I have to do something. I'm just giving you fair warning first."

"What are you talki—mmph!" Tigress jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck and crushing their lips together. Dongwa stared off into space for a few moments before he realized what was going on and started to kiss her back. He slid his arms around her lower back and held her tightly so that she wouldn't fall, resolving to never let her go.

Tigress' heart sped up even more, if that was possible without severe hypertensive heart disease ensuing, as their lips danced together and she ran her fingers through the fur on the back of his neck, making him tremble. They broke off, staring into each other's eyes.

"Tigress?"

"Yes?"

"You do know that you're settling for a noodle-making orphan, right? You know you could do so much better?" he asked. She smiled and gave him an Eskimo kiss.

"No. There's no possible way I could do better."

He brought her lips back down to his, kissing her with all his pent-up passion and longing. She moaned softly as his tongue entered her mouth.

Mingxia and Mrs. Ding stood next to each other, smiling and watching their children. "You were right, Mrs. Ding. They do make a handsome couple," Mingxia sighed, turning away from the two so they could have a bit of privacy.

Mrs. Ding nodded and smiled, wiping a tear from her eye. "They do. So, when do you think we'll have grandchildren by? I want to have at least one to spoil before I die!"

Clover's jaw dropped and she didn't say anything when she saw the couple. Shan fainted when he saw his daughter committing such a display of affection in plain sight.

"Oh, dear. Do you think he'll be alright?" Mrs. Ding asked.

"Yes, once he gets used to the idea of having to share his baby girl with another man," Mingxia replied, kneeling next to her husband and checking his pulse.

"I never got around to asking, where did you two first meet?"

Mingxia smiled. "You may not believe this, but we met at a dim sum making contest. What can I say? Like mother like daughter."

A/N: Hey Luna Goldsun, that was a shout out to you! Hi!! No one got the reference last chapter, which was from the musical "Into the Woods". Really, if it ever comes to a theater near you, then go see it! It's really funny and awesome. And here's something funny that I found on Wikipedia. en.wikipedia .org/ wiki/ Image:IMG35392 .jpg Just take out the spaces and add the before the beginning of the address. Five points to anyone who can tell me what it is! Holla!


	15. A Few Roadblocks

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 15- A Few Roadblocks

To celebrate Mr. Ping's glorious victory, everyone celebrated at the Jade Palace. It had been a week after the contest, but they set the date that late because Master Shifu insisted on one week to get his students back into their normal schedule and work off any weight they had gained from sneaking food in the shop for seven days straight.

Mr. Ping was busy at the stove making stir fry and dumplings, so that if some sort of air-borne particles should reach Po's room they wouldn't kill him. The Five were setting up tables and chairs in the courtyard so that they would have enough room for everyone.

After a little coaxing from Tigress, they invited Mrs. Ding and Dongwa. Tigress' parents were both invited, along with Clover. And there were even a few whispers that the Emperor might drop by before heading back to the Forbidden City. But for the sake of keeping them from persecution, I won't say who was the whisperer.

Monkey and Crane were hanging streamers and putting up a "Congratulations Dad" banner that Po had made to pass the time in his sick chamber.

"Everything looks about ready," Tigress said, brushing some dirt off her shirt.

Viper smirked. The shirt that Tigress was wearing wasn't her normal red vest. It was a new shirt made out of sky blue cloth, which had some blue lace ruffles on the sleeves.

"Nice shirt, Tigress. I don't think I've ever seen you wear that one before. It looks great on you," she said knowingly.

Tigress blushed and smiled. "Thank you, Viper. That's very kind of you to say."

This was a sort of ongoing game that she and Viper were playing with one another. Since Tigress and Dongwa had kissed, Tigress slowly started changing, becoming more feminine and less worried about kung fu.

The first thing was that Tigress had worn perfume to training one day. Monkey had actually been the first one to point it out, asking if anyone smelled flowers or if it was just him. They waved it off and went to training, but Viper could smell the sweet scents of plum blossoms and wisteria coming from Tigress.

The day after that, Viper had conducted a little search of Tigress' room and not only found a bottle of perfume, but also makeup and several new dresses. Viper had been subtly mentioning them all week, but Tigress always pretended like it was nothing.

And she also pretended that she wasn't sneaking out after dark to go out with Dongwa.

There was a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" Tigress volunteered, running off to greet the guests.

"I wonder who she's hoping it is," Crane said.

"You should be happy for her and Dongwa. At least she's showing interest in someone," Viper scolded.

"Yeah, but the more I see them together, the more I wish Tigress was a lesbian," Mantis said.

Viper glared at him and rolled her eyes. "Alright, so tell me which you would prefer. Tigress going out with Dongwa or Tigress going out with me?" Mantis shut up.

Tigress returned with her parents and Clover. "You mean it wasn't loverboy? What a shame," Mantis said sarcastically. Tigress glared at him.

"It's a pleasure to see you all again," Mingxia greeted, breaking the tension.

"You as well, Mingxia," Crane replied.

"Yeah, we haven't seen you since Tigress' last birthday. How old were you turning then?" Mantis asked. Viper slapped him on the back of the head with her tail. "OUCH! Watch it, those beads really hurt!"

"Is Master Shifu here? I would like to have a word with him," Shan said. Tigress picked up on the bitterness in his voice and caught her mother's eye, silently asking what was wrong. Her mother didn't answer with eyes or words.

"He's in the Hall of Warriors, meditating," Monkey told him.

Shan strode off confidently. "Whoa. That was kind of scary. I see where you get it from, Tigress," Mantis quipped.

"Do you need any help with anything?" Mingxia asked.

"Someone should probably go check on Po. One of us would go, but we're still waiting for Mrs. Ding and Dongwa to arrive. We swear what he has isn't contagious," Crane said.

"I'll go look after him." She padded off towards the bunkhouse. There was another loud knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Tigress and Clover chorused at the same time. The two sisters glanced at each other, their eyes narrowed. Tigress walked towards the doors again, and after watching her walk away for a few moments, Clover sped off after her.

"Tigress wasn't kidding when she said that Clover was over Po and on to Dongwa," Monkey said.

"Yeah. Maybe there'll be a catfight before the party's over," Mantis teased. Clover stomped back over first, followed by Mrs. Ding and finally Tigress and Dongwa, who were already talking and laughing together.

"Hello, Furious Five! It's good to see you in less hostile conditions," Mrs. Ding said happily, "Dongwa, aren't you going to say hello?"

There was no answer. "Dongwa?"

Mrs. Ding turned around and glared at her son, who was tickling Tigress under her chin. "DONGWA!" He jumped and turned his attention away from Tigress, both of them blushing.

"Right… hi."

Tigress giggled and covered her mouth. Clover marched up to them.

"You both disgust me."

And she stormed away. There was an awkward silence. "Well, she certainly doesn't keep her feelings bottled up, does she? That's the sign of a healthy girl," Mrs. Ding said, still cheerful.

Master Shifu and Shan approached the group, talking quietly. "Everything's ready, Master," Viper said.

Shifu ceased talking with Shan and looked about the courtyard. "Good. It looks lovely." His eyes scanned Dongwa, and Dongwa visibly gulped. "Your son, I presume, Mrs. Ding?" he asked warily.

"Yes, that's my Dongwa."

"It's an honor to meet you, sir," Dongwa said meekly.

"And you as well. I've heard a lot about you," Master Shifu answered. Dongwa nodded nervously.

"Can anyone tell me where Ping is? I need to… chat with him," Mrs. Ding asked. Dongwa and Tigress exchanged a worried glance.

"He's in the kitchen, preparing lunch," Tigress said.

"Thank you dear. If you'll all excuse me." She waddled off to the kitchen. _It's time to give Ping exactly what he deserves. _Mr. Ping was stirring a huge pot of noodles when she entered the kitchen, a determined look on her face and her wings on her hips.

"Ping."

He jumped and nearly dropped the spoon. "Oh. Hua. I wasn't expecting you," he said unemotionally.

"We need to talk."

Mr. Ping looked at her. "Talk?"

"Yes. In fact, I want to congratulate you on your achievement. The best noodlemaker won." His expression softened and he jumped down from the stool he was using so that he could reach the top of the stove.

"Personally, I always liked your noodles better."

Mrs. Ding scowled. "Your son? He's gaining in health?" she asked.

"Well… it's difficult to tell." She nodded curtly and refused to look him in the eye.

"Hua, will you make up your mind for once! When I first told you that Po had noodle flu, you were genuinely concerned! And now you're acting as if you don't care if he lives or dies. Do you have a heart or not?" Mr. Ping asked angrily.

"Of course I do! I just have very little tolerance for you, Ping!" she shouted back.

"Why? What did I do to earn your scorn? What mistake did I make?"

"You married that panda girl!"

Mr. Ping glared at her with fire in his eyes. "You will not speak of Jia in that way."

"What were you thinking, Ping? Marrying a panda! It's disgraceful!"

"So that's how I made you angry? I married someone I loved?" he asked.

"It's not that you married her, Ping, don't you understand? After all that we'd been through together, after all our good times, you chose her over me! You took my heart and smashed it on the floor of your shop when you told me you were engaged! I loved you, Ping, and you never even gave me a chance! It was bad enough that I had to watch you get married and have a child with someone else. But when I found out she was pregnant again, I knew that I wasn't going to waste my time waiting anymore! She even had the nerve to ask me to take her to the doctor to confirm the pregnancy! And I did, I wanted to hear for myself if she was having another one of your children. And after it was confirmed, I went home, packed my things and took Dongwa out of the Valley of Peace as fast as I could! You betrayed me, Ping. You have no right to say that I can't make up my mind, or whether or not I have a heart!"

Mrs. Ding was breathing heavily by the end of her tirade, and Mr. Ping stared at her with wide eyes. "Hua… I never knew…" She scoffed.

"Of course you didn't. You were too busy fawning over Jia to even take note of me anymore. I had no reason to stay. And let me tell you this—today will be my last day in the Valley of Peace. By sundown, Dongwa and I will be gone. Good riddance, if you ask me."

And she left him standing here, shocked and confused.

In a different part of the bunkhouse, Tigress and Dongwa were quietly nestled in her room, cuddling and exchanging soft kisses. They had managed to sneak off from the others without being noticed.

Tigress smiled at Dongwa as he slid his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. "Master Shifu is going to kill me," he whispered, running a paw down her side and hip.

"You're probably right. And my father might help him if he knew we were in here," she agreed. He chuckled and kissed the corner of her mouth.

"Such comforting words, Tigress. Am I really that hopeless?"

"Well, maybe you'll be lucky and they'll only dangle you above a tank of electric eels. But that's usually only if Master Shifu is in a good mood," Tigress teased.

He smirked and squeezed her bottom, and grinned evilly as she squealed. She glared at him, an equally evil glint in her eye. "You will pay for that."

"Really? So what are you going to do?"

"Something that will make your skin crawl," she threatened, tracing down his face and neck.

"You could always send the Emperor on me. I'm sure he'd love to watch me suffer." Tigress stared at the ground uncomfortably.

"He… he really seemed to like you," Dongwa said.

"He was just being polite," she replied quietly.

"Polite? Tigress, no offence, but people who are just being polite don't stare at you lustily when you're not looking."

"The Emperor never did such a thing!" she yelled.

"Tigress, I was watching you the entire time from my booth! You remember when you dropped that bracelet you were looking at? He was staring at your butt when you bent over to pick it up!" he defended.

"He was not! And besides, he has a wife," she reminded, burning holes into the floor with her eyes.

"So? People think it's strange that he never requested a concubine in his life. Imagine what he, what any emperor would think when he saw you! You're the ultimate prize, Tigress. A beautiful, young, strong girl who will do whatever he says because you're too afraid to stand up to authority!"

Tigress backhanded him across the cheek and stood up. "I am NOT afraid," she said determinedly.

Dongwa also stood up. "Maybe your not. But I don't believe that you can look me in the eye and tell me if the Emperor of China ordered you to be his bitch, that you would tell him to go to hell and kick his butt!"

She grabbed him and put him in a headlock. "Don't you dare disrespect me."

"It's true, though, Tigress. And you know it is! Tell me honestly, right now, if you would consent to be his mistress or if you would face the chopping block," he demanded.

"I would never disrespect myself by having sex with a married man!" she yelled.

"Not even the Emperor? Come on, Tigress, in addition that you would be forced to because he's emperor, he's a total lady-killer! Most girls would kill to be his concubine."

"I wouldn't do it because I love you!" she exclaimed, letting him loose.

Dongwa stood up and rubbed his neck. "Would you?"

She felt warm tears spring to her eyes and flow down her cheeks.

"Tigress, no, please don't cry. I didn't mean—" He sighed. "I'm just trying to be realistic. My mom… she's kind of unpredictable, and I don't know how much longer I'm going to be here. I guess that's why I was a little reluctant to reveal my feelings. I don't know if I'll be able to stick around, and I don't want you to think that I was just leading you on."

"Dongwa, you're a grown man! You don't have to follow your mother around like a sad puppy! You can take care of yourself, and she can take care of herself!" Tigress screamed. Dongwa's eyes turned cold and hard.

"I know she can. And I know I can. But that would be so disrespectful to her. After all that she's done for me."

Tigress laughed. "How long are you going to use that for an excuse? You can't hang onto her forever. What about when she dies? What are you going to do with yourself? You told me you hate cooking, but you know nothing else. You stay with her because you don't know what else to do in your life."

"I DON'T EVEN WANT TO HEAR IT FROM YOU!"

Tigress shrunk back. Dongwa had only yelled once, and it wasn't directly at her.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE! YOU HAD IT SO EASY WITH YOUR PARENTS AND MASTER SHIFU! I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF MY PARENTS ARE ALIVE, OR IF THEY EVEN CARE! DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO THINK THAT YOUR MOTHER MIGHT HATE YOU? THE ONE WHO CONCEIVED YOU AND GAVE YOU LIFE? IT CUTS ME LIKE A KNIFE EVERY TIME. SO DON'T EVEN START ABOUT MY MOTHER. SHE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO EVER CARED ENOUGH TO GIVE ME A CHANCE!"

Tigress was shaking by the time he stopped. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. But after a long, terrifying pause, he spoke again, his voice back to normal volume.

"Maybe… maybe my mother and I leaving the Valley is for the best. I'll keep in touch, but I think we need to figure out what's going on in our own lives before getting into each other's."

He approached her and pressed a kiss to her lips. "I'm sorry for yelling. I hope you can forgive me."

And he left.

Tigress just stood there, too scared to move. _He yelled at me. He's never yelled at me before. _She shook her head. _Why am I not surprised? We've only known each other for two weeks. Granted, those have been the two most magical weeks of my entire life, but it still wasn't enough time. __We don't know each other. _

_And he's right. Long distance relationships never work out. He'll probably meet some other beautiful girl and ask her out. They'll date for at least a year before he proposes. Then they'll have the perfect wedding with all their friends and family present, and they'll have great sex and lots of kids. And in twenty years, I'll probably just be a ghost of a memory to him. His fleeting two-week romance with Master Tigress of the Furious Five, almost-Dragon Warrior, Master of the Tiger Style. Something that he can brag about to his friends at his bachelor party when he's drunk. _

She sighed and sat down, shaking her head and hiding her damp eyes behind her paws. _Look at me. We've just broken up and I've planned out his entire future for him. Why would he be interested in someone like me? Someone who's barely ever strayed from the taunt line of duty. Someone who goes completely insane when she doesn't get her way. He wants—deserves someone fun and carefree who wouldn't be afraid to break the rules and do something crazy. I'm boring. _

A light tap on the door interrupted her thoughts. She quickly stood up, smoothing her shirt and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Come in."

The light wood and rice paper door slid open. Tigress' eyes widened when she saw who it was. The Emperor.

"Your Majesty," she murmured, dropping to her knees. He chuckled and lifted her face so that she was looking at him.

"There's no need for that here, Tigress. We're not in court. I won't punish you for being less formal with me." She nodded and stood up. He gazed into her eyes, making her stomach twist and flop.

"You've been crying." She flinched at his words. "Sit, Tigress." She immediately complied, sitting on her bedroll. He sat next to her and brushed his hand over her cheek, wiping the edge of her eyes with his thumb. "Why have you been crying?" he asked worriedly.

Tigress didn't really feel comfortable talking about her relationship problems with the Emperor, but what choice did she have? "I… I just had a fight with someone I really care about, your Highness. Someone who I love."

He nodded sagely. "Was it the tiger?" Tigress nodded. "Yes, I saw you two after the festival together. In fact, there's been news about you two buzzing all around the Valley. You're quite the popular discussion topic."

Tigress' cheeks burned with embarrassment. "I hadn't heard."

He smiled. "But some things are destiny and others are not. This was probably the way it's supposed to be." She stared straight ahead at the door, wishing she could bolt out of it and tell Viper about what had happened with Dongwa and cry. But she stayed put.

"Do you believe in fate, Tigress?" Emperor Wang asked, glancing at her.

"Yes, your Highness."

"Please, you don't have to be so formal. Call me Aiguo. Many people don't even know my first name anymore," he chuckled.

"Really, your Majesty, I don't feel very comfortable calling the Emperor of China by his first name. In fact, I'm not comfortable with being alone in here with you," she insisted, sliding away from him.

"Now, Tigress, as a believer in destiny, you must open your eyes to what's in front of you," he scolded, coming closer.

"Your Highness, you're scaring me," she said, standing up.

"It was fate that brought us together, Tigress. You cannot deny it," he said, standing up and grabbing her wrists.

"Your Highness, please!"

"It was meant to be this way, Tigress. It set in stone that we were to meet."

"But what about your wife? You're devoted to her, you've never asked for a concubine in your entire reign!" she shrieked.

"Well I've never met a woman quite like you before, Tigress. You've captivated me."

"Your Majesty, please stop!"

"You're mysterious and beautiful."

"You're making me very uncomfortable!"

"You've awoken my desires, Tigress, ones that I have ignored for many years."

"Emperor Wang, this is very, very wrong!"

He laughed. "Nothing is wrong, Tigress. You've never been in love before, have you? You're confused and scared and don't know what you're doing."

"Please…"

He grabbed her waist and pulled her against him. "I can help you Tigress. I can help you sort out the emotions that scare you and you don't know. I can help you."

"STOP!"

She shoved him away, freeing herself from his grip and knocking him to the floor. Her chest was heaving and she turned away from him.

He stood up and strode over to her, forcing his lips down on hers. Tigress struggled to get loose, but couldn't. After a while, she gave up and stood there like a rag doll, letting him kiss her and shove his tongue into her mouth and run his hands over her chest and thighs. Finally he pulled away and stared at her softly as more tears fell.

He wiped them away.

"Tomorrow I leave the Valley. It is my deepest wish that you should accompany me to the Forbidden City. Goodbye for now, Tigress." He walked out of the room. Tigress could hear his footsteps until the door to the bunkhouse clanked shut.

And she collapsed on the floor feeling violated and hopeless, sobbing silently and curling up into a ball.


	16. Broken Dreams

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

--

Chapter 16- Broken Dreams

Mingxia stood solemn and still as she contemplated what she had just heard. _My baby… my baby girl…my poor baby… she never even saw it coming. _

Mingxia pushed the doors to Tigress' room open and kneeled next to her daughter, hugging her and whispering soft words into her ear. Mingxia had come to find Tigress because lunch was ready and everybody was waiting for her. She had heard the entirety of the conversation between her daughter and the Emperor.

_This is the man who we trust to run our country. _

Tigress gripped her mother tightly and sobbed, shaking and tears pouring down her cheeks. "It's okay, Tigress, it's okay, I'm here now, everything is going to be alright now…"

Mingxia knew this was a lie. Emperor Wang wanted Tigress to go with him to the Forbidden City. _She'll never be able to survive. She was raised to be a warrior, not a plaything for the Emperor when he gets bored of his wife. _

"Mama…" Tigress couldn't finish her sentence before more sobs came.

"Calm down, Tigress. It's over. You're safe now."

"Mama, he wants me to go with him! I don't wanna go, Mama, I don't wanna go!"

"I know, Tigress. I know. We're not going to let him take you away from us. Your father and I, and Master Shifu and all your friends will protect you. We'll keep you safe."

"Mama, he's the Emperor! I can't refuse! He'll kill me, he'll kill us all! Or worse," she cried.

"It doesn't matter. I'd gladly face death to protect my little girl. You and Clover are my greatest treasures in the world, and I won't let anything happen to either of you."

"Mama, if I went to the Forbidden City, I'd miss you! All of you. I'd miss Papa, and Clover, and I think I'd have to kill myself." Mingxia picked her daughter up off the floor and made her sit upright.

"Never, ever say that Tigress. Promise me that you won't! If you died, I don't know what I would do. You have so much to live for, never give up your life just because things seem bad," she demanded.

"How could I not? I don't love him, Mama, I love Dongwa! I'd never be able to forgive myself!" Mingxia hugged her daughter and stroked her fur tenderly.

"We'll find a way, Tigress. We'll find a way." Tigress wasn't appeased by this, and kept on sobbing and shaking her head.

"**Come stop your crying, it'll be alright**

**Just take my hand, hold it tight**

**I will protect you from all around you**

**I will be here, don't you cry**

**For one so small, you seem so strong**

**My arms will hold you keep you safe and warm**

**This bond between us can't be broken**

**I will be here, don't you cry**

'**Cause you'll be in my heart**

**Yes, you'll be in my heart**

**From this day on, now and forevermore**

**You'll be in my heart**

**No matter what they say**

**You'll be here in my heart, always**

**Always."**

Mingxia smiled down at her daughter as the tears slowly stopped and Tigress quieted. "Now listen to me. We're going to protect you, darling, we'll keep you safe. Nothing is going to happen to you, and you aren't going anywhere. Do you understand?" Tigress nodded. "Good. We should get you some food in your stomach, it will make you feel better."

"To be completely honest, Mama, I'm not very hungry. I feel like I'm going to throw up."

"That's completely understandable. How about we just get you some tea, hmm?" Tigress smiled and nodded. "That's my girl. Come on." Mingxia helped Tigress stand up and regain her composure.

They exited the bunkhouse together, arm in arm. "Mama?"

"Yes, Tigress?"

"If I do have to go to the Forbidden City, do you ever think I'll see you again?"

Mingxia looked at her daughter. "I don't care if I have to go through pouring rain and heavy snows, you would see me again."

Everyone smiled when they saw Tigress. "About time you got here! We thought you were going to miss out on all the food!" Mantis exclaimed, making a place for her at the table.

"Tigress isn't really feeling very well, so she's not going to eat anything," Mingxia explained.

"What happened?" Viper asked worriedly.

"I don't want to talk about it," Tigress answered quietly, pouring herself some jasmine tea.

"Shan." Her husband looked up at her. "I need to discuss something with you. Right now." Shan immediately abandoned his meal and followed his wife out of the hearing and sight range of the others.

"What's wrong? What's going on with Tigress?" he asked immediately. Mingxia didn't respond at first.

"…Shan… it was the Emperor…"

He sighed. "I knew it. Master Shifu agreed with me about yesterday. He's sticking his hands where they don't belong."

"You have no idea how accurate you are." Shan looked up at her with questioning eyes. "Shan, he… he touched our baby girl."

"You don't mean…"

"No, but he went too far for my tolerance. He wants to take her back to the Forbidden City to be his whore. She's scared, Shan, I'm scared!"

She broke down crying, and Shan pulled her into his arms. Shan hugged her tightly. "He won't come within two thousand feet of her."

"What are we supposed to do? He's the emperor, Shan!"

"I don't care! He's not going to violate our girl so that he can have some fun. I don't care if I have to kill him myself!" Mingxia shook her head.

_Either way we're doomed. If Tigress doesn't go, it would mean death for all who protect her. And if she does, she'll be scarred forever. _"First off, we have to tell everyone," Shan said.

"No, if we tell her friends, she'll be humiliated. Even more so if Dongwa finds out. We can only tell Master Shifu and Mr. Ping and Mrs. Ding."

"The crazy goose lady? What could she possibly do?"

Mingxia glared at him. "She could help us form a plan! We don't have much time, Shan, the Emperor is coming for her tomorrow!"

"Don't worry, we'll think of something. Right now, let's just go warn what people we can and start getting help."


	17. A Bitter Honor

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 17- A Bitter Honor

The sun rose on the Valley of Peace. It was like any other morning. The village began to stir and it's people slowly emerged, going about their business and doing chores. The wind gently blew through the trees and whistled up into the leaves, making them sing. But sadly this beautiful morning did nothing to lighten the mood at the Jade Palace.

Everyone was high strung after they found out what happened to Tigress. Master Shifu's eye wasn't twitching, but he strode around with a scarily determined look on his face.

Mantis looked very guilty. _If I hadn't urged her to drop out of the contest, the slimeball wouldn't have seen as much of her and she wouldn't be in this mess. _Po was enraged when he heard, and had tried to bust out of his room to beat the Emperor into a bloody pulp.

Shan was as fearsome as Master Shifu was. He was scowling heavily, growling under his breath, and constantly cracking his knuckles. Mingxia was merely silent, looking ashen and sick.

Clover had immediately run and apologized to Tigress for being so mean and they had cried together. It brought Mingxia to tears, too. Crane and Monkey didn't say much. They just sort of went about, looking sad and depressed.

Viper sat under the Sacred Peach Tree, brooding and refusing to move or to eat. And this is the truly sad part of this description.

Dongwa and Mrs. Ding were gone.

This nearly broke Tigress, who was close to being sick when everyone finally got her to calm down. They had left silently, and almost without a trace, except for a goodbye letter from Dongwa. He never heard about what the Emperor had done to her. And Tigress thought he had turned his back on her.

_Love is a waste of time… all it does is kill you on the inside… I'll never love again. Never. _Tigress had been quietly crying in her room for the past hour and a half, but managed to stifle the sound so that she wouldn't wake Clover, who had fallen asleep in her lap.

She gently stroked her younger sister's cheek. "You look so peaceful… I pray that you'll never have your virginity tainted in the way I will," she whispered, "All my hope is gone. But you—you still have a chance. To fall in love… and you'll never want to part from him. Even though truly no one will ever be good enough for my firebrand sister. And you'll get married… and have beautiful babies… and you'll be an excellent mother who can take care of her children, and administer punishment whenever they need it without faltering because you know what must be done. And what I wouldn't give to have that opportunity, or even just to watch."

Finally soft cries came forth, waking Clover. She gently hugged her sister. "Tigress, you can't go! Who's going to teach me how to put on makeup and talk to me about sex when I don't want to go to Mom and Dad? I need my big sister, you can't go!"

They both started sobbing loudly. "HEY, IT'S OKAY! YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE TO CRY!" Po yelled from his room.

Through their tears they both smiled at the panda's attempts of comfort. "You picked a very good adult to have a crush on," Tigress said.

"Well… I think I'm going to try and find someone my own age. Even if they aren't as mature," Clover said softly. Tigress grinned.

"That's great." Clover wiped the tears from Tigress' eyes.

"I'm sorry about Dongwa. He's a total clod for running out on you like that. But look on the bright side. If you ever need a punching bag, you can just track him down and beat him up." Tigress smiled and looked to the floor.

"It's alright. I guess it just wasn't meant to happen. But at least I have my little sister to keep me company."

Clover burst into tears again, and Tigress joined her. "You can't leave!" They cried and cried, wetting each other's clothes with their tears.

"So much sadness. What is the cause of all these tears?" Both the girls started and looked at the voice. The Emperor looked genuinely concerned as he entered the room and sat next to Tigress. Clover glared at him and clung to Tigress.

"Your Majesty," Tigress whispered.

"And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" he asked sweetly, looking at Clover.

"My younger sister," she mumbled.

"Your Highness." Shan stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. Mingxia was standing behind him, looking furious.

"You're Shan, I presume? And his wife?" Emperor Wang asked.

"Yes, that's right. Please step away from our daughter." Emperor Wang's eyes narrowed, and Shan glared at him. He stood up.

"I was worried we might run into a little conflict about Tigress going so far away without anyone she knows. Which is why you're all invited to come with us. I would be nowhere without my family, so I could hardly rob someone else of theirs."

Mingxia pushed past Shan to face the Emperor. "You would have me watch my daughter be degraded and her spirit destroyed? Never. Tigress isn't going anywhere, she's staying here with the people who care about her."

"Mingxia," Shan said sternly. She glared at him, but took a step back from the Emperor.

"I don't think that you're realizing what an opportunity this is for her. She's been in this Valley her entire life. It will be good for her to get out and see the world," Emperor Wang said.

"Tell me, your Majesty, how much of the world will she be seeing from your bedroom?" Mingxia yelled.

"SILENCE!"

They all jumped except for Shan, and Clover started shaking. The Emperor's voice was no longer soft and persuasive, but sharp and cold like an obsidian sacrificial knife. "Listen to me, and listen well. In two hours time I will be leaving the Valley of Peace for the Forbidden City. And when I do, Master Tigress WILL be a part of my caravan, do I make myself perfectly clear? If you have any complaints, you may direct them to one of my swordsmen, I'm sure they will be happy to listen."

And with a swish of his robes, he was gone.

Clover was crying and buried her face in Tigress' chest. Shan drew Mingxia into his arms and held her. "What now?" Tigress asked.

Mingxia left Shan's side and took Tigress' hands. "We have no choice. I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do."

"It's alright, Mama. You did everything that you could. But he's just too powerful. I'll be able to take care of myself. Master Shifu didn't train me for nothing. And besides…" Tigress sucked in her tears and sobs. "It is the utmost honor to serve the Emperor."

Mingxia's lips quivered, then she broke down in tears and clutched both her daughters, screeching in tongues that had no meaning. Tigress stroked her mother's head.

Shan just watched his first born with mixed emotions. _She's growing up to be everything you've ever dreamed. Self-sufficient, hardworking, honorable, calm, collected… but damn it, why does she have to be so mature about this? _

So within two hours, Tigress packed her things and said goodbye to everyone at the Jade Palace. She gave each boy a kiss on the cheek as a parting gift, and Viper nearly squeezed the life out of her.

A part of Tigress wished she had.

"Please don't do this," Viper had whispered. Tigress let go of her best friend.

"It's my duty."

A tear had rolled down Viper's cheek, smearing her makeup.

Master Shifu pulled her aside. "Whatever you do, Tigress, don't let go of your stubbornness. Don't let him win so easily. Be as distant as possible and never give him what he wants. Spend as many of your hours as you can training. Defy his orders if you must. If he truly sees favor in you, he won't harm you for it. He'll think you're playing hard to get. Just keep buying time."

Tigress nodded and hugged her Master. "Thank you—for all that you've ever done for me. I've never once thanked you for the food you let me eat or the protection you gave me. I took everything for granted. I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to be sorry. I took you and the Five for granted since you were all little children. And now that I'm losing one of you… I now realize how much I had when I thought I had nothing," he insisted. She nodded and hugged him one last time. She stood up and wiped her nose.

"I still need to say goodbye to Po."

"I'll walk you there," Shan said, linking their arms.

They were mostly silent the entire walk to the bunkhouse, but before she went inside, Shan took her by the shoulders. "Tigress, I need to tell you something."

"What is it, Papa?"

Shan took a deep breath. "I'm sorry that you're being forced into this. When you were still a baby and your mother would show you off to her friends, they would always talk about how you would fetch a pretty penny when you were married. And every time that they would say such things, I would swear to myself that I would never make you have an arranged marriage. And now you're getting into something much worse. Now I know that you think he doesn't care, but that boy of yours does. And if he ever comes back—I'll break into the Forbidden City myself and take you back so that the two of you can get married. I know true love when I see it, Tigress, and that boy is definitely not someone who just wants to be with you because your, well, you."

"Papa, Dongwa and I… we're too different. With too many conflicting opinions. It would never work," Tigress said desolately.

"What, you think that a couple has to agree on every subject? Your mother and I spend three-fourths of our time together arguing. But when you get past the arguments and reach a compromise, you are able to see a new depth to your relationship. You realized that even though you may not agree on everything, or anything, but you're still able to work and twist and turn your problems around and coexist happily together. That's what a relationship is really about. It's not just about feelings. It's about your personal values and your values as a team, and where they meet in the middle. Emperor Wang doesn't understand that. That's why he has to yell at us and order us around to get what he wants. He doesn't know you like he should. He's not an honorable man by any circumstances, Tigress, and don't ever forget that. But Dongwa is something different. He understands people. And he knows you, Tigress. He knows you."

Tigress rushed forward and hugged her father. "I love you, Tigress. I always will, no matter what happens to you or what you are. You're my baby girl. And no emperor will ever change that."

Tigress nodded and wiped away her tears. Shan stroked her cheek. "Be strong. I believe in you."

"I love you, Papa."

She gave her father one last hug before turning away and stepping into the bunkhouse. She pushed open the door to Po's room.

"Hey, Tigress! Thanks for stopping by!" Po greeted warmly, his voice still a bit raspy.

She tried to smile, but couldn't. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She took a deep breath. "Po… I'm leaving the Jade Palace."

"What?"

"The Emperor has requested my company for his trip back to the Forbidden City. I'm leaving in a few minutes, and I wanted to say goodbye," she explained.

"You can't! Tigress, he doesn't want your company, he wants to have sex with you!"

"I know he does! But there's nothing we can do about it."

"But what about Dongwa? You two are crazy about each other!" Po noted.

"Dongwa… he's gone, Po. No one knows where, but both he and Mrs. Ding are gone. Besides, Dongwa would just be in danger if he tried to protect me."

"Tigress, come on! This so isn't you! You're too good to be a concubine!" She sighed.

"Goodbye, Po. I hope that you get better soon." She kissed his cheek and left the room. Only about ten minutes later, Emperor Wang collected his prize and took her away.

A/N: REVIEW, REVIEW MY PRETTIES!!!


	18. On the Road Again

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

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Chapter 18- On the Road Again

Dongwa stared exactly two feet in front of him. No more, no less. _Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present. Just remember that. It must be true, it was said by Master Oogway… at the Jade Palace… where Tigress is. No, stop, don't think about that! You have to do the things that you don't want to sometimes. That's the way the world works. Just keep your mind on the path. _

Mrs. Ding was worried about her son. He hadn't said anything since they left, he hadn't eaten one morsel of breakfast that morning, and he had done nothing but brood for the entire trip.

"Dongwa, I know you are upset with me for making you leave Master Tigress, but don't be so down about it! After our lives get back on track and in a normal pace again, I'll cut down your hours and you can meet someone new, and before you know it everything will be alright again. So smile, Grumpy Gus!"

Dongwa didn't respond. He stared two feet ahead of him on the path. No more, no less.

_I don't want someone new. I don't want anyone! Tigress… gods, I miss her so much… no, no! You're a proud bachelor! And besides, you were right. She's too good for you. She's probably laughing it up with the Emperor over some pointless joke and not noticing that he's staring at her chest. I wish he were dead, more than anything. _

"DONGWA!" Dongwa finally took his eyes away from two feet in front of him and turned around. Po was sprinting towards them, huffing and puffing.

"Po?"

Mrs. Ding shrieked and pulled Dongwa to the ground, covering his nose and mouth. "DON'T BREATH! HE'S GOT NOODLE FLU!"

"Hold on, you've got to listen to me! This is super important!" Po insisted, resting his hands on his knees.

"You won't infect my boy with your deadly germs!" Mrs. Ding yelled.

"It's about Tigress!"

Dongwa pushed his mother away and stood up. "What? What is it?" he demanded.

"She is in major trouble, and I mean MAJOR!"

"OUT WITH IT, MAN, WHAT'S GOING ON?" Dongwa yelled.

"She was taken by the Emperor!" Dongwa froze, feeling his blood go still and his heart stop beating for a moment.

"Wha… what?"

"The Emperor came to the Jade Palace today and ordered that she go back with him to the Forbidden City! He's going to make her his concubine!" Po explained.

Dongwa stood there, perfectly still, eyes wide. Every moment that he had with Tigress flashed before his eyes, ending at their kiss at the Championship Noodle-Off. _Tigress… he's taking my Tigress… he's taking her away from me… granted, I left, but I planned on writing! I planned on coming back and begging for her forgiveness! And now… she's gone… she's been taken away from me… to be a sex slave. What have I done? I could have saved her… we could have snuck off and eloped in the middle of the night and he wouldn't have taken her! And I left her! She's probably scared to death. And it's all my fault. _

"We have to do something… Po, you have to help me!" Dongwa exclaimed, sinking down to his knees. "Kick the Emperor's butt, use the Wuxi finger hold on him, give him Noodle Flu, SOMETHING, please! I can't lose Tigress now. I can't. I'll die without her! I love her, I can't let this happen to her, please help me!"

"Hey, hey! Relax, buddy. I'll help," Po said softly, kneeling next to his best friend and putting a paw on his shoulder.

"Hold it right there," Mrs. Ding said resolutely, "Fighting over a girl with a normal boy is one thing, but the Emperor is another thing entirely! I don't wish to see your head displayed over Emperor Wang's hearth!" Dongwa rolled his eyes.

"Mom…"

"Now you listen to me, mister! I am your mother and I must protect you. I know you love the girl, but I can't let you put your life on the line!"

"Mother, I—"

"What kind of parent would I be?"

"Mom, NO! I have to do this! This is the woman I love, and I'm not letting someone take her from me that easily! I've been under your wing since I was a toddler, but I can't stay there forever! I'm moving on. And if that means that I'll have to do everything on my own, fine. But I'm not going to be treated like a child for the rest of my life! I need to make something of myself on my own!" he yelled.

"You have made something of yourself! You're an excellent noodle-maker, you've competed against the best in the world just days ago," Mrs. Ding reminded.

He sighed. "Mom, I hate cooking! I have since pretty much forever! But I don't know how to do anything else. Tigress believed in me, the real me! She knew that I could find something that I did love and that I was good at and she prodded at me to do it! I owe her so much. My heart is with her, Mom, and I can't let someone else take her just because he thinks she's sexy, which she is. I have to do this whether I have you permission or not. Po—"

Po straightened up and saluted him.

"Where was the caravan going? What direction?" he asked.

"Back to the Forbidden City. It was going northwest."

Dongwa smiled. "Good, General. We'll need to catch up to it before nightfall, or we'll never be able to find her." \

"You'll need a good plan to pull this off," Mrs. Ding said.

"You… you want to help us, Mom? We could use someone who's as insane as you are to help us plot," Dongwa asked. She smiled.

"Of course I'll help you. I can't have you being a Grumpy Gus forever, now can I?"

A/N: Man, I don't know what's wrong with me! I'm just popping out chapters like a BB-gun. Oh well. Review! Holla!


	19. Saving Cinderella

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

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Chapter 19- Saving Cinderella

On caravan, Tigress was absolutely miserable. She couldn't think of anything but the Jade Palace, her friends, her family, even Dongwa.

_My father says he's good. And since he's my father, I should trust him that he's right. But Dongwa left. He didn't even say goodbye to my face! All I get is one letter. He wasn't there when I needed him. When I needed to hear his voice comforting me. _She wrapped herself in a hug, trying to imagine Dongwa holding her in his arms.

_I felt so safe with him, so free. I shouldn't have yelled at him. He should have the right to live with his mother for as long as he wants. _She took out his letter, which she had tucked into her bag at the last minute.

She smiled when she saw the broth stain on it, and she could practically smell Mrs. Ding's insane dessert noodle recipe. She brought the paper to her nose and smelled, trying to remember how it smelled in the small inn room that Mrs. Ding and Dongwa rented. But instead it smelled of him. _He smelled of cinnamon and sweat. But in a good way. _

Dongwa wrote in very beautiful cursive. His letters were tall and strong. _Just like he is. _She traced her name in the greeting with her finger.

She had tried to imagine what he looked like as he wrote it. Her personal favorite was him crying buckets of tears over having to leave her and trying very hard not to get the letter wet and make it illegible. But she knew that probably wasn't the case. She reread the letter.

_Dear Tigress,_

_I feel like a jerk, just so you know. I hate having to do this. Tigress, my mother and I are leaving the Valley of Peace. Probably for good. My mom is really mad at Mr. Ping for reasons STILL unknown. And trust me, you don't want to see her when she's mad. _

_I'm going to miss you. You're not like anyone I've ever met. Well, that's kind of a given, seeing as how I don't meet many kung fu masters. But I mean it in a different way. You know what I mean. Or at least, I hope you do. _

_I hope that if it turns out that I'm right about the Emperor and he does try to go after you, that you give him a good kick in the crotch for me. _

_But I think that you're right about some things. Maybe I am clinging to my mother a bit too much. But where else would I go? I don't think that Master Shifu would approve if I asked to move into the Jade Palace. I guess I could move in with your parents, but I don't think I would like it if I woke up and Clover was lying next to me, purring in my ear. That might be a little awkward. _

_I could learn whatever your father does for a living—speaking of that, what does he do for a living? You never told me. Not that you had to tell me, but it would be nice to know. _

_Okay, I have to wrap this up quick because my mom is yelling at me to pack my things. I'll be thinking of you. I promised I'd keep in touch, which I will. I'll write to you at every chance I get and maybe I'll dare to show my face in the Valley of Peace again some day. _

_So I guess this is goodbye. I'll be thinking of you everyday, and whenever I need a pick-me-up from having to make noodles, I'll remember your smile and your kisses. And just so you know, if the Emperor ever asked me to be his bitch (which I doubt), I would say no and head to the chopping block because I love you too._

_Best wishes for the future, __Dongwa_

When Tigress originally read it, she was devastated that he would leave without even coming to see her. The bit about thinking about her smile was like painkillers that he was only saying to make her feel better. And he wouldn't really write. He was just saying that to clear his conscience.

But now that she was going over it again, it didn't seem so slick and dishonest. His blatant sarcasm and jokes made her smile, and the request to kick the emperor in the crotch made her laugh. She believed him when he said he would come back to find her. And she did know what he meant when he said he'd never met anyone like her.

And she would remember him too. She would remember every night of the previous week when she snuck out to meet him at their mountain ledge. She would remember every kiss he gave her and every fond look. And when she applied her father's advice about relationships to his letter, it actually made sense. _He's trying to compromise with me. _

A female sow pushed appeared at her side. "We're stopping for the night, Master Tigress. You may want to stretch your legs, we won't stop very often tomorrow to reach the Forbidden City on time." Tigress nodded and refolded the letter, carefully putting it in her pocket and heading out into the cool night air.

There was a gentle wind that caressed her fur. Even though she was a captive, this was a beautiful night. "Excuse me, do you know where I could get some water?" she asked the sow.

"I believe there's a stream a few minutes walk in that direction," the sow replied, pointing to the south.

"Thank you."

She ran until she came to the stream. It was wide and deep, with a gently current. The water glistened and reflected the moonlight back to her from the sky. They had long since past the Thread of Hope, and out of the Valley. Tigress shrugged. _I'm not going to see anyone I know. _

She did a perfect dive into the water and popped back up. The cold water soaked her fur and made her shiver, but she didn't mind. It was better than being stuck in a warm sedan chair for hours. She swallowed some of the water. It soothed her throat and cleared the dust out.

"Tigress?"

She turned in the water. Dongwa's eyes glowed in the darkness.

"Dongwa!" She jumped out of the water and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his neck.

"I was scared that I was never going to see you again," he whispered, holding her close. She nodded. He pulled away and looked at her. "You're wet. What were you thinking, going into that water? It's cold out, and you're soaked."

"Well, after being in the heat and surrounded by gossamer curtains that only made the air thicker, I was thinking that I needed to cool off. Sorry that I got you wet." She shivered and rubbed her arms. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?" she asked.

"I had a little help." A pair of flabby arms hugged Tigress tightly in greeting.

"Po! You're supposed to be in bed!" she scolded.

"Actually, I'm feeling a lot better. And if you don't believe that I'm over my sickness, I had a bowl of Mrs. Ding's noodles before we came to rescue you," Po said proudly.

"It's true. I'm his witness," Dongwa confirmed, punching Po on the arm.

Tigress smiled. She could imagine Dongwa and Po wrestling around when they were kids. "So come on, what are you waiting for? Let's go!" Po prodded, pushing her away from the caravan.

She resisted. "I can't. My stuff is still in my sedan chair, and if the Emperor finds out it will be instant death for all three of us!"

Dongwa placed a finger to her lips. "It won't be instant death if we don't get caught. And besides, if we do get caught, then you and Po could kick everybody's butt. I guess that makes me the damsel in distress." She giggled and pushed his hand away.

"Fine. But I'm not risking being cooked at 360 degrees if a random half dragon-half evil witch swoops down on you and kidnaps you."

"Fine. Go get your stuff, we'll wait here for you." She nodded and started back to camp, but at the last second he grabbed her hand and pulled her back, pressing their lips together.

Tigress sighed happily at the contact, wrapping her arms around him. The Emperor's kiss had been fast and painful, but Dongwa's kisses were soft and sweet, like fresh honey. He rubbed her back, which was sore from being bumped around all afternoon.

Po rolled his eyes and pried the two off of each other. "I hate to break up this lovefest, but we don't exactly have a lot of time." Tigress blushed and let go of Dongwa, rushing back to camp.

Dongwa glared at his friend. "Thanks, Po. Thanks a lot."

"What? Would you rather have continued that or get an infinite amount in the future because she's not a concubine to the Emperor?" Dongwa didn't respond, he just pouted.

Tigress used the stealth skills that Master Shifu had so often drilled her on. She managed to slip back into camp without being noticed and back to her sedan chair. Before she could part the curtains and grab her bag, she was addressed.

"Tigress. Why are you soaking wet?" She slowly turned around to face the Emperor.

"Well, sire… there was a bit of an accident. An urn of water overturned and I got wet. But I'm alright." He raised an eyebrow, but seemed to buy her story.

"Very well. Then I would like you to come with me to my tent. I would like to speak with you about some important matters."

_Yeah, right, talking. I'll believe that when plums fly. _"Of course, your Majesty. But if I may, I'd like to change into some dry clothes first."

The Emperor nodded. "Of course."

And he padded off back to his tent. As soon as he was out of sight, she grabbed her bag and snuck out of camp again. Dongwa was pacing back and forth and Po was dipping his feet into the stream, smiling and humming to himself.

She threw her bag across the river, hitting Dongwa in the head. "Ow! Watch it!" he whispered sharply.

"That's for not coming to say goodbye in person, you jerk!" she whispered back.

He grinned. "You got my letter."

She nodded and fluttered her eyelashes.

"Hello? Trying to escape with our lives here!" Po reminded the both of them. Tigress swam across the river and lifted herself out of the water, accepting Dongwa's hand to help her stand.

"Your effects, my lady," he purred, handing her the cloth drawstring bag. She smiled and took them from him, brushing her fingers over his in the process. "Come on, let's go. It's not going to take too long for the Emperor to realize what's missing," he insisted, heading south.

Po and Tigress both followed him. "I'm glad your better," she whispered.

"Thanks. But luckily you can only get Noodle Flu once, so I'm off the hook," he said cheerfully.

"That's great! Your father was really scared for you," she said.

"Yeah, I can imagine so. But how was the Noodle-Off? I still can't believe I missed it!" Tigress smiled and gazed at Dongwa.

"It was… a pleasant experience."

Dongwa smirked. "I'll race you back to my camp!" he declared softly, taking off in a run. Tigress grinned and ran after him.

"Oh, come on, that's not fair! I can't run!" Po protested before going as fast as his legs would carry him. They ran all the way back to the beginning of the Thread of Hope, where a small fire was burning. Well, Po was jogging more than running, but you get the idea. Besides, it was a long run, so you have to give the guy some credit.

Tigress felt her heart soar when she saw the bridge. _I'm almost home. Cross the bridges, and I'm back in the Valley. _"You alright?" Dongwa asked softly, lacing their fingers together.

She squeezed his hand. "I am now." He grinned dreamily at her and stepped closer, leaning in to kiss her.

"MY BOY!" They were interrupted by Mrs. Ding throwing her arms around one of her son's legs.

"Are you alright? Where's Po?" she asked frantically. Po slowly but surely wobbled over to the group before collapsing onto the ground.

"Present," he said wearily.

Mrs. Ding's eyes lit up. "Tigress! Oh, thank goodness that the boys found you in time! Are you alright?" she asked, helping Tigress sit down by the fire and pouring her a cup of tea.

Tigress gratefully accepted the drink. "I'm fine. And I'm glad they found me in time too."

"When Po told us about what happened to you, we were shocked! Poor Dongwa was beside himself!" she said. Dongwa shrugged and sat next to Tigress.

"I was worried about you. I meant everything I said in that letter. Did you get to read all of it?" he asked.

She nodded and pulled out the paper, which was now soaking wet. "Well, I did when it was dry. And it was beautiful. You have a good way of phrasing things," she answered.

He blushed. "I was just trying to communicate my point. No big deal."

"It's too bad it got ruined, though. It would have been so nice to be able to show it to our kids," Tigress sighed, borrowing Mrs. Ding's mischievous eye glint.

Dongwa's voice cracked. "Kids?"

"Oh, speaking of children, I want to discuss with the both of you the matter of grandchildren. When can I be expecting—"

"MOM, Mom, maybe we should save this for tomorrow. Tigress is probably very tired and we have a long way to get back to the Jade Palace," Dongwa insisted.

"Oh, alright. You should all get some rest, it's very late." They went their separate ways for the night.

Dongwa grabbed Tigress' hand and led her inside his tent. Po had insisted on being "lookout" in case the Emperor should come, but both the tigers knew that if they did come and set off fireworks right next to his ear, he wouldn't wake up.

"So, you're sure you're alright?" Dongwa asked. He was turned in the opposite direction from Tigress and had his hands over his eyes so that she could change out of her wet clothes in privacy.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"And he didn't—"

"No, he didn't lay a finger on me. I'm still pure."

Dongwa smiled. "Good. That way I don't have to mutilate his reproductive organs."

"Ugh, you're disgusting!" she teased, throwing her wet shirt at the back of his head. There was a short pause. "Dongwa?"

"Yes, Cinderella?"

She smiled at the old nickname. "Did… did you really mean it in your letter? When you said you loved me?" she asked quietly.

"Of course. I don't lie about that kind of thing."

"Alright, it's safe."

"What?"

"You can look at me without getting your reproductive organs and your eyes mutilated." He turned back around. She was in her normal vest and pants.

He smiled. "You look beautiful, Cinderella."

She grinned and sat down in his lap, facing him and wrapping her legs around his waist. "Where were we before we had that fight?" she whispered, pressing their noses together.

"We were discussing my punishment for sneaking off with you to your room."

She nuzzled him under his chin. "Let's rewind time a little. Let's go back to those nights up on the ledge. Just you and me."

He gulped and nervously wrapped his arms around her.

"Okay," he squeaked, his voice cracking again.


	20. The Bridge

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

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Chapter 20- The Bridge

The next morning the sun streamed across the Thread of Hope and illuminated the tiny campsite. Po was still fast asleep at his post, sucking on his thumb. Mrs. Ding had already lit a new fire and had started cooking breakfast. A few spare rays of sunlight found their way into Dongwa's tent, shining on its occupants.

Tigress was laying in Dongwa's arms, her paws resting on his chest. Dongwa no longer had his shirt on, and it was laying uselessly near the opening of the tent. His head rested on top of Tigress'.

Soon the sun bothered their eyelids enough for both of them to open their eyes and gaze at each other. Tigress snuggled closer to him, still a bit damp from last night's swim. "Good morning."

He smiled and kissed her. "Good morning to you too."

She smiled back and placed her paw on his cheek, tracing the stripes on the side of his face. "Master Shifu would definitely have killed you for last night."

"Good thing he's not here," Dongwa whispered. She nodded. His eyes closed and he buried his nose in her fur, breathing in her scent. "You're wearing that perfume again."

"So? I happened to put some on last night when I was changing."

"I like it," he mumbled, pressing tiny kisses down her neck. She silently gasped as his lips went further down to her collarbone and the hollow of her neck.

"We should probably get up and see if your mother needs help," she said.

"Do we have to? I'm very comfortable right now. I don't feel much like moving."

"Do you want to have time to eat _and_ escape the Emperor?"

He sighed. "Fine. But you owe me big time." He sat up and she handed him his shirt. He reluctantly slipped it back on and they left the tent.

They spotted Po and both started snickering. "I'll wake up the big guy. I know all the tricks," Dongwa volunteered.

Tigress chuckled. "And I'm going to miss it. Pity." She headed over to the fire while Dongwa walked to Po's side.

"Hey, buddy, it's morning. Time to flee for our lives." Po didn't respond. He just kept sleeping. Dongwa rolled his eyes and picked up a large rock. He took the thumb out of Po's mouth and stuck the rock in its place. Po just kept on sucking on the rock. Dongwa leaned down and pinched Po's nose shut. After a few seconds, Po was sitting up, gasping for breath and spitting out the rock.

"Morning, sunshine. It's time for breakfast."

With some help, Po stood up and stretched. "Great, 'cause I'm starving!"

"No small wonder there, buddy. Did you have fun being lookout?" Dongwa teased.

"Did you have fun with Tigress?" Po teased back.

"What happens in the tent, stays in the tent, Po," Dongwa said, smiling.

"Whoa, sounds serious. You two didn't…"

"No, we did not, thank you. I would never do that to her before marriage… unless she wants me to… and I want to. And we both want to. At the same time."

"Did you sleep well, Po?" Tigress asked, sitting and sipping a cup of tea.

"Like a baby. Yourself?"

"Very well, thank you," she said, lowering her eyelids. Dongwa blushed and grinned.

"Breakfast is ready!" Mrs. Ding chorused happily.

"Please don't tell me that we're eating noodles for breakfast, Mom," Dongwa pleaded.

"Not today. We're having porridge and lychee nuts."

"Good. I've had enough noodles in the past three weeks to last a lifetime," he said, sitting next to Tigress. Just as they started to eat, four imperial guards came running into the clearing.

"By order of his Majesty the Emperor of China we order you to surrender the woman!"

Po stood up and got into a battle stance to face the guards. Dongwa held Tigress behind him. "Uh, in case you're forgetting, I know how to fight," she snapped.

"I know, but you're the one they're after. One false move and we're back to square one."

She rolled her eyes and ran out from behind him, punching one of the guards in the face and kicking the other in the gut. Both fell to the ground, unconscious. One started for her, but she shoved him into the other and both went over the side of the cliff. Tigress wiped her brow and walked back over to Dongwa.

"You're the damsel in distress, remember? Not me." And she stalked back to their tent.

"How close do you think they are?" Po asked.

"Probably not too far," Tigress wagered, coming back to the fire with her bag, "Those were probably scouts that were meant to search the area and bring back reports. Then if they found anything the rest of them would go after us. We need to get moving and fast if we want to get away."

Dongwa and Mrs. Ding watched her head towards the Thread of Hope with wide eyes. "Welcome to the world of Tigress," Po said, putting out the fire and taking a bite of porridge.

After a hasty packing of everything that they all owned, they started back across the bridge network. "I swear, this will be the last time I cross this damn chasm," Mrs. Ding muttered.

"Guys, maybe we should run," Po suggested.

"What? Are you insane? We'll get ourselves killed trying to run across this bridge," Dongwa said.

"Well, they might be able to persuade you." Po pointed to the large group of guards coming towards them. Emperor Wang was with them, looking determinedly and furiously at the group.

"Yeah, that seems like a pretty good reason to run," Tigress said anxiously, starting to pick up speed. The guards followed them, copying their every move.

"Does this bridge thing never end?" Dongwa asked as they zigzagged through the maze of ropes and planks.

"It's meant to confuse people so that no one who would harm the Valley can get across," Tigress explained.

"Then how come they're not confused yet?" Po yelled.

"Because they're following us and we're not going fast enough! If we could get far enough ahead, we could lose them," she said.

"So what are we waiting for?" Dongwa grabbed Tigress' paw and started running faster, pulling her along and waiting for her to catch up to his speed.

"You do know which way to go, correct?" Mrs. Ding asked.

Tigress nodded, looking a little unsure. "You don't know?" Dongwa asked irately.

"Well sorry, the only time I crossed the entire bridge before I wasn't exactly thinking about which way we were going! I was following Master Shifu; we were going off to battle!" she defended.

"And you yell at me for being too clingy with my mom."

"Now is NOT a good time for this, Dongwa!"

They came to a fork in the bridges. "Which way?" Po asked. Tigress bit her lip and looked in both directions. The Emperor and his minions were getting closer.

"Tigress, we need a decision!" Dongwa pushed.

"Um… this way!" She led them to the right. _Please, please, please be the right direction! _They came up to three bridges. Two led to a single common ground and the last bridge led to an arch.

"We did it! Tigress, you were right!" Po exclaimed happily, scooping her up in a hug once they were on the mini island.

"We haven't finished until we've crossed the last bridge," Mrs. Ding said, continuing on. Po followed quickly, and soon both were safely on the other side.

Dongwa started to cross the bridge, but stopped when he realized Tigress wasn't following him. She remained on the little bit of land.

"Tigress, what are you doing? They're going to catch up!"

"Dongwa, this has to stop! Even if we do make it, the Emperor will follow and I'll still be taken back to the Forbidden City. Only it will be worse because you, your mother, and Po would be sentenced to immediate death!" she yelled. He ran back over to her.

"So that's it? You're just going to give up? Right when the end is in reach?" he asked angrily.

"Well what am I supposed to say? You can't hide from him, he'll find us! And I want to keep you safe."

"Please, Tigress, don't make me drag you across kicking and screaming." He took her hands. "What about us? I really want to make this work. I love you. We'll get through this together. I promise."

The Emperor came to the two bridges. "THERE SHE IS, DON'T LET HER ESCAPE!"

Dongwa started running across the bridge, Tigress following after. About halfway across, there was a loud crack. Tigress fell through one of the boards. She managed to grab hold of another before she fell into the abyss.

"Tigress!" Dongwa put his paws over hers and tried to pull her up.

"No, stop! You'll make me fall!" she yelled, feeling her fingers slipping.

"So what do I do?"

"Cut the ropes!"

"WHAT? Are you insane, you'll fall!"

"Cut the ropes a few boards behind me and then grab my waist!" she ordered. Dongwa carefully stepped over her and ran a few paces away. The Emperor was frozen to his spot, staring in fear at Tigress' position.

Dongwa unsheathed his claws and cut the ropes. He grabbed onto Tigress as they both fell towards the arch. They hit the wall of the canyon with a thud, and Tigress almost lost her grip. She dug her claws into each board as she went up, carrying Dongwa with her.

They both reached the top and onto the other side, breathing heavily and clutching each other. "That… that was a good plan. Scary, but good," Dongwa breathed, hugging her close. She buried her face in Dongwa's chest.

"I thought you both were goners," Po said, his face pale.

Mrs. Ding hugged Dongwa, gentle tears rolling down her face. "I thought I had lost you."

Dongwa hugged his mother, letting go of Tigress. "I'm alright, Mom. I'm alright."

"TIGRESS!" They all looked up at the Emperor, who was stuck at the island. His expression was of pure terror and fear. "YOU'RE ALRIGHT? THE BOTH OF YOU?" he asked.

She and Dongwa exchanged glances, then she nodded.

"I CAN SEE THAT YOU TWO LOVE EACH OTHER VERY MUCH. SO I GIVE YOU MY ROYAL BLESSING. I WON'T REQUIRE YOU TO RETURN WITH ME ANYMORE, MASTER TIGRESS."

Tigress and Dongwa grinned at each other. "THANK YOU, YOUR MAJESTY!" Tigress yelled back. And the Emperor turned his back on them, ordering all of his men to retreat.

"Well that was lucky," Dongwa said.

"Tell me about it," Po added.

"Well, what are we all doing standing around and being lazy? There's still a very long walk to the village!" Mrs. Ding said cheerily. Tigress, Dongwa, and Po all slumped to the ground, groaning.

A/N: That was really cool! I don't write combat very often, but I like it! Review! Holla!


	21. Fates

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

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Chapter 21- Fates

It was a very tearful reunion when they finally reached the Jade Palace. Mingxia held her daughter for nearly an hour, crying hysterically and giving thanks to the gods for her safe return. The Five all cried when they were brought back together, and once again, Viper nearly choked the life out of Tigress. Clover was back to her normal blasé attitude and simply shrugged and said hello. Tigress didn't seem to mind, though.

However, Dongwa's return was not such a happy one. As soon as Shan finished hugging Tigress and telling her at least fifty times how he would never let her out of his sight again, he dragged Dongwa to the Hall of Warriors for a good, long man-to-man talk. Afterwards, Po had to make Dongwa two pots of tea and Tigress had to rub his shoulders for half an hour before he would stop muttering under his breath and wringing his paws nervously.

And Po got a long, hard wallop for running away, courtesy of Master Shifu's flute.

Things had settled down a bit after everyone had sunk back into their normal routine. Tigress spent most of her time tearing up the obstacle course. Whenever Dongwa came to see her, he watched with proud, shining eyes as she finished up her training for the day.

He and Mrs. Ding had settled back into their inn room. Mrs. Ding was saving up money to buy a house, saying, "I'm not crossing that damn bridge anymore!" And all of this led up to our scene here.

Mr. Ping had been tending to Po for the past few days, taking extra precautions in case he was still sick and would have a relapse. "Dad, I swear, I'm fine! You don't have to do this!" Po insisted, backing away from his father, who was brandishing a syringe.

"Now Po, it's just a little shot. I just want to be safe and make sure that the disease is really gone. Now hold still!" Just as he was about to insert the needle, there was a knock at the door. Mr. Ping jumped and the needle slipped through his fingers, the glass smashing on the floor.

Po slumped and sighed in relief. The door slid open, and Mrs. Ding entered. "Mrs. Ding, I've never been happier to see you," he breathed.

"It's great to see you too, dear. But I need a word with your father," she said quietly. Mr. Ping gulped.

"Sure. Anything to get out of this room." Po scooted out as fast as he could.

Mrs. Ding sighed. "Ping, we need to discuss something."

"What, Hua? I thought you didn't want anything more to do with me," Ping said softly. She smiled.

"I know what I said. But, it's time for me to face the facts. Dongwa is getting older. Too old to be living with his mother. And now that he has a girlfriend, I don't think he'll have much time for me."

"That's not true. He'll always have time for you. I remember when you first brought him home. He would scream at the top of his lungs if anyone but you held him. And he would follow two steps behind you wherever you went," he remembered, laughing slightly at the memory.

"Oh, do you remember the day Po took his first steps? It was one foot in front of the other, and then face first into the soup pot!" Hua exclaimed.

They both laughed. "Yes. It seems both our boys have outgrown us. With Po living at the Jade Palace, I hardly ever see him anymore. You're very lucky to have Dongwa with you still," Ping said sadly.

"Now we're just a couple of old geezers," Hua added. A small smile formed on the corner of Mr. Ping's mouth.

He carefully placed his wing over hers. "But we don't have to be a couple of single geezers."

Mrs. Ding's eyes widened. "P-ping?"

"I miss Jia. I think about her every day. But I think she would want me to move on with my life."

Hua sighed. "I think about her too. I was jealous of her, but she was one of the most loyal companions that you could ask for. She helped me so often with Dongwa. She was more his mother than his Aunt Jia."

"But he adored you. I remember that when all the young boys would make fun of you, Dongwa would push them to the ground and rub mud and grass in their faces until they said they were sorry and that you weren't insane."

Mrs. Ding chuckled. "I am a bit crazy sometimes. But I hope you can for me for being so rude. I was still a little sour from the past." He smiled.

"Forgiven."

Mrs. Ding gripped his wings, grinning like a mad woman. "So what are we waiting for? I'm not going to live much longer, and I certainly don't want to be a bachelorette for the rest of my life! Let's get married."

"Married?"

"Yes! We weren't exactly the obedient children that our parents wanted us to be. Let's have one more crazy act before we settle down and be the old geezers that we're destined to be. Besides, you can't run that noodle shop on your own."

Mr. Ping smiled. "I'd like that. You're my best friend, and it would be an honor to make you my wife."

The major subjects of the Valley's whispers were under the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom.

"Mmm… Tigress…" A light, feminine giggle rose through the air. "Okay Cinderella, it's my turn."

"Oh… Dongwa, that feels… good."

They were taking turns rubbing each other's backs. "Told you this was a good idea. You've been training too much, your back is all full of knots," he whispered.

She leaned back against him. "Well I suppose that's why I have my Prince Charming to make it all better." He gave her a quick kiss. "Dongwa."

"Yes?"

"We need to talk."

"About what? Your friends don't hate me anymore, your father and mother approve, my mother approves, and neither of us are leaving the Valley. What is there left to talk about?" he asked. "We still need to talk about your future, and your mother," Tigress said.

"Oh. I was kind of hoping we could put that off for a while."

Tigress turned around and stroked his cheek. "Dongwa, you can't put this off. You have to make some decisions. Are you going to stay with your mother or not, and if not, what are you going to do for a living?"

He shrugged. "Live at the Jade Palace and be your slave?"

She laughed. "I don't think that Master Shifu would approve of that."

"Well what else is there? I don't want to live with my mom anymore, but I've got nowhere else to go," he said.

She smiled. "I got you a present." Dongwa stared at her blankly for a few seconds.

"Okay, a little off topic, but I'll go with this. You didn't have to get me anything," he insisted.

"I know, but I wanted to. I love you. So come on." She pulled him up and started pulling him towards the courtyard.

"Can you give me a hint?" he asked.

"It's something that I think will mean a lot to you." She covered his eyes.

"I want it to be a surprise."

"Alright. Just don't let me run into a tree." She stopped him in the middle of the courtyard and uncovered his eyes. He looked around. "There's nothing here."

"Nothing yet." She ran to the front doors and pulled one of them open. "You can come in now, Meifeng." Another tigress followed in after Tigress. She looked only a few years older than Dongwa.

"Um, Tigress… who is this?" he asked nervously.

"I'm not surprised he doesn't remember me. He was only three when I last saw him," the tigress said. Dongwa's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Do you recognize her now?" Tigress asked softly.

"You're… you're the tigress from the orphanage," Dongwa whispered.

"Yes. And I'm your mother."

He took a step closer to her. "My mother—but I thought my parents were dead. That's why I was in the orphanage."

She grimaced. "Well, what happened was that I fell in love with a man in the village where our orphanage was. We were going a little fast in our relationship, and before I knew it, I was pregnant with you. We were going to marry, but there was an accident and I attended his funeral on our planned wedding day. The women at the orphanage said that the chances of the both of us getting adopted were slim to none, so when your adopted mother came in and I saw how you reacted to her, I gave them permission to let her take you. I always planned on coming and finding you, but I couldn't leave the village until I turned eighteen. And then I didn't have enough money to travel, so I had to work in a household as a servant to earn the money. About two months ago I quit and took what money I had and started looking for you. Then about two weeks ago I heard these two gentlemen talking about the Championship Noodle-Off and the winners, and how there was a big rivalry between the winners and a goose and a tiger. I asked them the names and when they told me it was you and Mrs. Ding, I came as fast as I could to the Valley to find you. I ran into Master Tigress and she said she knew you and could take me to you. And she's been graciously been paying my room and board for the past few days," Meifeng explained.

Dongwa looked away. She sighed and put her paw on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I've been a terrible mother. I should have held you close and refused to let them take you instead of thinking of myself and letting you go. I can understand if you're angry with me or upset. But I would like to be a part of your life."

Dongwa looked past her to Tigress. "Could you give us a minute?" Tigress nodded and silently left the two.

"She's a very nice girl," Meifeng said. Dongwa nodded.

"She's my girlfriend."

"Really? That's wonderful. I'm very happy for you."

He gazed into her eyes, the same purple hue as his. "M-mommy?"

"Oh, Dongwa," she whispered softly, pulling him into her arms. "I saw you so many times in my mind. You're smiling face. That's why I named you Dongwa."

"What?" he asked, pulling back.

"Your dimples looked just like two little Hami melons. I know it's a bit unordinary, but you were no ordinary baby. You were unique. And I wanted you to have a name that no one else would have." Dongwa hugged her again and leaned his head on her shoulder. A few tears escaped his eyes. "Shhh… it's alright. Do you want me to sing your lullaby?" He nodded.

"**Baby mine, don't you cry**

**Baby mine, dry your eyes**

**Rest your head close to my heart**

**Never to part**

**Baby of mine.**

**Little one, when you play**

**Don't you mind what they say**

**Let those eyes sparkle and shine**

**Never a tear**

**Baby of mine.**

**From your head to your toes**

**You're so sweet, goodness know**

**You are so precious to me, cute as can be**

**Baby of mine**

**Baby mine**

**Baby mine."**

"I had forgotten most of that lullaby. I never thought that I would hear it from you again," he whispered. She smiled at him and placed a hand to his cheek, lifting his face up.

"Look at you. You're so big. I remember when I could hold you in my arms. And now you're taller than I!"

"Only by an inch or two," he insisted.

"Dongwa!" Mrs. Ding was running towards him. "Son, I—who's this?"

"My name is Meifeng."

"Oh, Dongwa, you and Master Tigress make such a lovely couple! Why would you want to give her up?" she asked in vain.

"Mom, you don't understand. This is my mother. My birth mother." Mrs. Ding looked Meifeng up and down.

"Oh. Your birth mother." Meifeng smiled and nodded. "Well that's nice. But I have good news! Where is Po? He needs to hear this too!" Mr. Ping came with the very panda.

"Ok, everybody's here! You can tell them, Hua," he said excitedly.

"Ok, alright. Mr. Ping and I are getting married!"

"MARRIED?" Po and Dongwa yelled at the same time.

The geese nodded. "You two are going to be brothers!" Mrs. Ding said happily. Po hit the ground with a thud, out cold.

"You're kidding me, right?" Dongwa asked in disbelief.

"Nope! You'll finally have a father!"

Dongwa shook his head. He turned around. "Mama…" Meifeng took him into her arms.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay," she soothed quietly.

Po groaned and sat up, shaking his head. "Whoa…"

"You know what, Mom? Alright. If you want to get married to Mr. Ping, that's great. I really am happy for you," Dongwa said, hugging her, "But I need to talk to Tigress for a minute. If you'll all excuse me."

He found Tigress in the training hall, once again brutally murdering part of the obstacle course. "Hey, Princess! Got a second?" She stopped and came over to him. "Thank you so much. I'm indebted to you," he said, kissing her hand.

"You're welcome," she said, kissing him on the lips.

"But I've decided something. And it's pretty important."

"We've got the training hall to ourselves. Tell me all about it."

"I've decided that you're right. I need to find a way to make a living. And I want to go to a university."

She grinned. "Dongwa, that's great! But it takes a lot of money to go to a university."

"I know. But I'm going to work every spare second that I can to pay for it."

"Well… I wish you good luck. You'll probably do very well." She didn't look him in the eye. _Going to a university means he won't be in the Valley anymore. Just when we're together again, he's leaving me. But I did tell him he needed to be more independent, so I can't complain. _

"And I'm going to bring my birth mother. I need some time with her to catch up."

Tigress nodded. "That's good."

"And Tigress."

"Yes?" He took her paws.

"I want you to come with us. I know it wouldn't be a Palace, but I need you there. I need you. And I don't want to lose you. Will you come with me? Please?" he pleaded.

She was shocked. "Dongwa—I don't know, I mean… that's a lot to ask…"

"I know. But I love you. And I was thinking about your advice. I've been very attached to my mom. But haven't you been attached to someone?" he asked. She looked at the floor. _I've clung to Master Shifu since childhood. I've done nothing but try to please him. To make him proud. He's right. I'm just as rooted down as he was. _

"Dongwa, I love you too. And you do realize that we wouldn't be able to live in the same house? I have to preserve my honor." He grinned and swung her around, kissing her soundly.

"You won't regret this, Tigress. I swear."


	22. Clover's Reflections

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

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Chapter 22- Clover's Reflections

_23__rd__ of Osmanthumens _

_So much has happened in the past few months. First, this huge noodle making competition came to the Valley. It was pretty cool, seeing as nothing ever comes here. I guess you sacrifice your culture and social life for safety when you come to the Valley of Peace. And I met this completely adorable guy. _

_His name is Dongwa, and he's my sister's boyfriend now. Seriously though, this guy is H-O-T, hot! But he's like three times older than me, so it didn't exactly work out. And I got over my crush on Po. I mean, he's a sweet guy, but he's just not my type. And besides, I've got a couple guys from school on the line. _

_Speaking of school, Dongwa decided that he wanted to go back to school, to a university so that he can have a job other than cooking noodles. I don't blame him. I personally have resolved never to slave behind a hot stove for my husband all day only to be unappreciated and ignored. My husband will respect me, and if he can't handle having a strong woman by his side, then he doesn't deserve me. And he's taking Tigress with him. I would laugh my head off if she came home pregnant and Mom and Dad freak out on her. _

_Mr. Ping, Po's crazy father, is getting married to Dongwa's mom. They're going to tie the knot before Dongwa leaves for school. I'm glad that they're happy with each other, but the fact that people that age are getting married and doing… things kind of makes me want to throw up. _

_However Dongwa and Mrs. Ding's relationship is a bit rocky. You see, Tigress found Dongwa's birth mother, and I think Mrs. Ding is kind of hurt because Meifeng has been babying and coddling Dongwa since she got here. But I suppose if you have been without your child for twenty two years, you would want to spend as much time with him as possible. She's even going with him to the university with him. And you can totally tell that they're related. Meifeng and Dongwa look exactly alike. _

_I feel kind of bad about his dad. I think I would be a wreck without my dad around. We're pretty close. I mean, Tigress always hogged Mom, so I would follow Dad around and talk to him. He gave me the talk about my period, and it wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be. _

_Master Mantis is still down in Mr. Ping's shop a lot and I say he should steal away from the Jade Palace one night and go to culinary school. He could go to Paris, and I could visit him on holidays and meet French guys. _

_I'm actually kind of sad about Tigress leaving. I mean, she annoys me and I'm constantly in her shadow of greatness, but she's a good sister. But she promised me that we would have an old-fashioned sleepover. You know, painting our nails and talking about boys and stuff. My guess is that she'll be talking about Dongwa, and I'll be talking about every other guy in the Valley. _

_Despite all arguments and awkwardness and confusion over the past month, everything is settling down into something… comfortable. I'm enjoying the last days of summer, chilling out at home and drinking lemonade and such. Pretty soon I'll be back in school, and Tigress will be off with Dongwa at university, and Mrs. Ding will be Mrs. Ping. _

_So much is changing and it's all happening so fast. But Dad says that that's how the world is. One thing changes into another which changes into another. That's what keeps life exciting. And I'll admit it, my life _is _pretty exciting right now. None of the really super exciting stuff is actually happening to me, but it's fun to watch everybody else and see how they react and deal with their problems. _

_Well, I guess that's all I have to say for now. I'm going to visit Dad at work and bring him lunch. I'll write again soon!_

A/N: There's the epilogue! For those of you who are confused, Osmanthumens is the month of August in the Ancient Chinese calendar. I'm posting the soundtrack soon! Holla!


	23. Soundtrack

Year of the Goose

By corset-rebellion-follower

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda

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Chapter 22- Soundtrack

"This actually isn't that bad."

"What did I tell you? Corset never fails to please," Po said happily, only one earbud in his ear. He and Dongwa were in his room, listening to the soundtrack.

"Seriously, man, I'm sorry we didn't get to hang out much. First it was your sickness and my training, and then it was Tigress, time just got away from us, you know?" Dongwa apologized.

"Hey, no big deal. Some things are just beyond our control. And I don't blame you for hanging out with Tigress. She's a total babe!"

Dongwa raised an eyebrow, and Po smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm going to ignore that. What exactly is on this soundtrack?" Dongwa asked, taking the iPod from the giant panda.

**Track One- One Last Hope by Danny DeVito (Mr. Ping recruiting the Furious Five)**

**Track Two- I'll Make a Man Out of You by Chorus (Training for the competition)**

**Track Three- Lift Off by Kristy Frank (Mantis's success)**

**Track Four- Girl Next Door by Saving Jane (Tigress' brooding and jealousy)**

**Track Five- Perfect Enemy by T.A.T.U. (Mrs. Ding)**

**Track Six- Turquoise Sky by Sara Melson (Tigress and Dongwa's first meeting)**

**Track Seven- Meg & Dia by Meg & Dia (Chapter 6)**

**Track Eight- Here Beside Me by Hayley Westenra (Tigress and Dongwa on the mountain ledge)**

**Track Nine- You'll Be In My Heart by Glenn Close & Phil Collins (Tigress' Lullaby)**

**Track Ten- Baby Mine From Dumbo (Dongwa's Lullaby)**

**Track Eleven- How Does It Feel by Avril Lavigne (Mantis and Tigress' argument in the bunkhouse)**

**Track Twelve- Masterpiece by Meg & Dia (Chapter 9)**

**Track Thirteen- Anytime You Need a Friend by The Beu Sisters (Dongwa talking to Tigress about her quitting)**

**Track Fourteen- We Are Family by Sister Sledge (Tigress' Family)**

**Track Fifteen- Let's Get Together by Hayley Mills (Mingxia and Mrs. Ding plotting to get their children together)**

**Track Sixteen- Don't Stop the Music by Rihanna (Chapter 12)**

**Track Seventeen- Welcome by Phil Collins (The Emperor's Arrival and the Beginning of the Competition)**

**Track Eighteen- I Like That Girl by Leon Thomas (Dongwa talking to Mrs. Ding about Tigress and why she's too good for him)**

**Track Nineteen- Our Time Now by The Plain White T's (Mr. Ping winning the contest)**

**Track Twenty- Build Me Up Buttercup by Morgan Burke (What I imagine the Emperor is singing in his head when watching Tigress at the competition)**

**Track Twenty One- My Happy Ending by Avril Lavigne (Chapter 15)**

**Track Twenty Two- Heavily Broken by The Veronicas (Chapter 16)**

**Track Twenty Three- End of the Line by Christi Mac- (Tigress leaving the Jade Palace)**

**Track Twenty Four- It's Too Late by Hope Partlow (Dongwa On the Road)**

**Track Twenty Five- Half-Life by Duncan Sheik (Tigress on Caravan)**

**Track Twenty Six- I Will Always Return (The Events at the River and at the campsite)**

**Track Twenty Seven- Miles Away by Alexa Wilkinson (Beginning of Chapter 20)**

**Track Twenty Eight- Love Song by Sara Bareilles (The Escape from the Emperor)**

**Track Twenty Nine- Make It Home by Juliana Hatfield (Tigress' Homecoming)**

**Track Thirty- About You Now (Mrs. Ding and Mr. Ping)**

**Track Thirty One- Look Through My Eyes (Meifeng's explaination)**

**Track Thirty Two- Where You Lead, I Will Follow by Carole King (Tigress agreeing to go with Dongwa)**

**Track Thirty Three- Ever Ever After by Carrie Underwood (Ending of the Fic; credits that don't exist)**

A/N: Alas, it is the end! I'm going to miss this story. But once I finish my halloween fic and My Own Destiny, I'm going to start the sequel. See you next time!


End file.
